Bloom Into You (2018)/Natsu No Arashi! (2009)/Seitokai Yakuindomo (2010 - 2017/all Sentai Complete Collection Blu-ray sets)

Picture: A-/B+/A- Sound: B+ Extras: C*/C/C Episodes: A-/A-/B+

And now for more reviews of anime TV series from the top company in the business, Sentai...

Yuu Koito has just entered high school and dreams of high school romance like all the books and dramas she has watched, but after meeting and catching Touko Nanami turning down a confession to a boy, she is charmed by her beauty, grace, elegance and charm. After joining the student council to get close to her, she is surprised when Touko confesses to her that she loves her. Yuu suddenly finds herself in a secret/forbidden relationship with the school's most popular girl. But even so ...Yuu is not sure of herself and how she should feel in Bloom Into You (2018)

Touko Nanami is the most beautiful, kind, sophisticated, and smartest girl in school, so it comes to Yuu as a shock when Touko tells her she is in love with her. Touko tells Yuu the reason she loves her is because she doesn't treat her 'special' like everyone else. And while everyone see Touko as the 'perfect' girl, none of them sees her as who she really is. At first, Yuu joins the student council to become closer to Touko, but she soon learns Touko isn't a 'perfect' person. Touko lives in the shadow of her deceased elder sister who died a few years ago and she is living to fulfill 'her' dream. While Yuu was surprised by Touko's confession, but she doesn't reject her either. Yuu wants to help Touko live her own life and help her learn to not hate herself and not just be what everyone else wants her to be, but as time goes on, Yuu's own feelings for Touko begin grow. How long can Yuu and Touko keep their secret? Can Yuu truly bloom with Touko?

This anime is filled with drama and romance, every girl dreams of the perfect romance like all the shojou (girls) manga, but things in life (and reality) is never simple nor is it easy when homosexuality is not openly accepted by society. The story is about young Japanese girls deal with same gender romance. The anime only covers about the first 5 books in the Manga series. Extras include clean opening and closing animations and trailers, but a Limited Deluxe Box Set (pictured above) is also being released and has far more extras, so serious fans might want that one instead.

Episodes include:

I Can't Reach the Star - Yuu enters high school and she needs to decide on a club to join, she tries out helping out the student council and meets Touko Nanami, the school's most beautiful and popular girl.

Heating Up/Application for First Love - Yuu helps out Touko being her campaign manager for the student council president. Touko kisses Yuu and tells her that she wants to love her and she doesn't need to return her feelings.

Still Up in the Air!/The One Who Likes Me - Yuu wonders about her relationship with Touko and seeks advice from her friends without telling them about her and Touko's relationship. Yuu makes a speech for Touko election helping her win the student council president election.

The Distance Between Fondness and Kisses/Not One of the Characters - Touko tells the council she wants to revive the student council play. Yuu and Touko is seen kissing by Maki, but he tells Yuu he doesn't plan on telling anyone.

The Problem with Choices - Yuu is in conflict with herself. Touko is invited to Yuu's house and Yuu learns that Touko feelings toward her are just like anyone in love.

Words Kept Repressed/Words Used to Repress - Yuu learns about Touko's past and her deceased elder sister and she is living her shadow. Yuu decides to continue to support Touko and whichever choice Touko will make.

Secrets Galore/Sparks - Touko's best friend Sayaka is also in love with Touko and is a rival for Yuu in Touko's feelings. Sayaka has notices her teacher is in a relationship with a local cafe owner (also female) and confesses her own feelings and why she keeps her own feelings hidden.

Intersection/Rained In - Sayaka loves Touko and as long as no one else is close to Touko she is content, but she still gets jealous when Yuu gets closer to Touko. Sayaka practices with Yuu for the relay race and they comes to an understanding.

On Your Marks!/The Unheard Start Signal - It's sports day at school and as a reward, Touko wants Yuu to kiss her. Yuu begins to have feelings for Touko, feelings that tell her she wants to become more than friends.

The Incomplete Me/Daytime Star/Mirage - Yuu's friend Koyomi writes a play for the student council which oddly mirrors the councils members personality and personal lives too.

Centroid of the Triangle/Lit Fuse - The student council has a summer training camp for the student council play. Touko learns more about her sister from one of her sister's former classmates.

Suddenly Suffocating - As the summer training camp comes to an end Yuu asks Koyomi to change the ending of the play in order to help Touko change.

To the Last Stop/Lighthouse - Yuu and Touko go on a date to the aquarium. Yuu tells Touko she can choose to be whoever she wants to be.

It's not your typical boy meets girl story. Hajime meets an older girl, Arashi during his summer and falls hard for her, but then he finds out she is much older than she looks. Arashi is a 'ghost' but when she meet and 'connected' with Haijime they are now able to travel back and forth in time together. Working together in a coffee shop they are soon joined with other 'ghosts' with supernatural powers just like them. Together they will have a summer they will never forget in Natsu No Arashi! (2009)

It is a romance comedy through time and space, Arashi is a ghost from 1945, but somehow after surviving the war and becoming a ghost she meets Hajime, and only then are they able to travel back in time. Arashi dream is to use her time travel powers to save lives and those she care about from the war. She is soon joined by another ghost who has followed her through time Kaya, her best friend. Along with their friends they all work together in a small coffee shop that has existed for the last century. However when they encounter another pair of ghosts, Kanako and Yayoi, Arashi's life is threatened because they need Arashi's life force to continue their existence. As the learn more about their past, they learn their stories were far more connected than any of them knew.

This is a series which starts out as light hearted comedy romance but then turns more serious and dramatic in the end. It is bitter sweet story as the characters tell the story to their past lives and and what connects them. If you could travel back in time, what would you change about your life if you knew what was going to happen? Extras include close encounters with Manga, credits and trailers.

Episodes include:

Playback: Part 2 - Hajime meet Arashi and their secret is that they can travel through time together, but Haijime plays a prank on anyone who gets close to Arashi but then he tries to reset it when the wrong person gets pranked.

Girl A - Hajimi recalls how he and Arashi first met and the first time they time traveled.

Wanting to Protect - Arashi tries to convince others of their abilities, but they only see her as the perfect Japanese Yamato nedeshiko woman.

Full of Memories - Arashi helps make a period movie at her old school, and reminisce her past. Hajime discovers a photo of Arashi from 60 years ago when she alive.

Secret Flower Garden - Arashi is reunited with her best friend Kaya who is also a 'ghost' like her.

Falling in Love - Kaya and Jun recall the first time they jumped through time.

An Outsider's Relations - Jun has a secret, 'he' is really a 'she'. Arashi and Hajime accidentally breaks the weather vane above the coffee shop.

Suit Yourself - Hajime and Jun accidentally switch bodies.

Hero (Now's the Time for You to Become a Hero) - Now that everyone knows Arashi and Kaya's powers, they talk about time travel, time paradoxes and the ethics of time travel.

Stranger - Arashi's life force is stolen when Kanako and Yayoi, two more ghosts from the past need her energy to continue their fading existence.

World Exist for the Sake of Two - Hajime fights Kanako, but instead Yayoi and Hajime travel back in time and Hajime learns of their past and connection to Arashi.

Entrust Yourself to the Flow of Time - Yayoi and Kanako apologize for all the troubles they caused and returns Arashi's life force and begin to fade, but Arashi, Hajime, Kaya and Jun combine their powers and saves them.

and Playback: Part 1 - It seems like Arashi and Kaya are able to travel back in time and save lives, but they are unable to stop Hajime's pranks.

Finally, welcome to Ousai Academy where it recently became co-ed and there is ratio of twenty females to one male. Freshman Takatoshi Tsuda finds himself in a guy's harem dream come true, but on his first day he is drafted into the Student Council by student council president Shino, Aria the council secretary and Suzu the council treasurer, which isn't so bad to be surround by the most popular girls in school if it weren't for their lack of common sense and sexual curiosity and bluntness. Could be heaven or could be hell in Seitokai Yakuindomo (2010 - 2017).

Tsuda just made it into Ousai Academy where it recently is testing boys for co-ed a school. Tsuda is immediately singled out and he is the 'sample/test case' for the student council with Shino, Aria and Suzu (or is he their pet/gopher?). Shino is the capable student council president but everything she says is a double entendre and she seems more interested in Tsuda's 'biology' than studying. Aria is Shino's big breasted best friend, she is rich girl who is a little naive but never fails to follows up with Shino's sexual jokes.

Suzu is a girl genius, but due to her short height she has an inferiority complex with being mistaken for a 'child' (mainly her height and breast size). Adding to all the chaos is their sex-obsessed female classmates, a perverted female adviser/teacher Ms Yokoshima and Tsuda's younger sister Kotomi (who seems more interested in her brother's sexual growth) Tsuda's virtue and virginity is in constant danger.

This anime series is a comedy/coming of age series, almost a harem-like series except for the guy is the one with all the common sense and the girls are the perverted characters. It is based off of the four-panel manga, there are tons of female characters and fan service, most of the time the series makes jokes and fun of sexual stereotypes, high school life and adolescent relationships. Extras include movie, clean opening and closing animations and trailers.

Episodes include:

Underneath the Cherry Trees/Is this What Coninuation Feels Like?!/For Now, How About You Strip? - Tsuda arrives at Ousai Academy and he meets Shino, Aria and Suzu and is basically forced into joining the student council.

By the Way, Are You an S or M?/Thing Shall We Test That Strength of Yours?/Is This Sparkly Thing Yours? - Tsuda meets their club adviser, a sex starved teacher Ms Yokoshima ...who likes younger boys.

A Wonderful Wrapping Job, If I Say So Myself/President! Please Open Your Yukata More!/You've Already Had Your Fill?! - Shino and Aria go on their class trip. Suzu and Tsuda run the student council together and become closer.

That's Why My Clothing is Sloppy Where You Can't See/Congratulations/And So I'm Fine From Here - Shino and Aria return from their class trip with presents for Tsuda and Suzu. The student council celebrates Shino's birthday.

Doesn't Your Butt Hurt?/This is Just From Frustration/I've Got to Go to School with Bread In My Mouth, Too! - Tsuda gets a cold and Shino comes to visit him causing his sister Kotomi to think Shino is his girlfriend.

You Can't Read it, Tsuda-kun! Use it!/If there's a Catcher You Need a Pitcher!/No, Come Wearing Clothes - The student council tells ghost stories and legends of the school.

It's Steadily Getting Bigger/Tsuda-kun is Boys' Love - The student council spends the day at the beach.

Ah?! You're the Strawberry Panties Girl From This Morning!/Pulling Down One's Virginity May Come in Vogue/I'll Fight for You All! - The student council plans for the school's cultural festival. Shino stands in for the Judo club when one of it's member gets injured.

How Much Will You Pay for Them?/I See! We're Totally Unrelated!/Venezuela - The school has a cultural festival.

I Saw a Maid! My Lady's Early Afternoon Obscenity (shortened)/That's Not in My Character Description/I'll Be your Partner, If You'll Have Me - Everyone meets Aria's maid, Dejima.

I've Never Seen This Physical Phenomenon Before/Should We Put on Underwear, Too!/Santa's Fetishes - The student council cleans up their club room and find items they lost. The student council spent Christmas at Aria's house.

Know Some Shame, Like a Normal Person/The Market Price is Half-Stripping for Uniforms/That Wasn't Your Own Form of Exhibitionism? - Tsuda gets chocolate on Valentine's Day. Kotomi takes the entrance exam for Ousai Academy.

Goodbye! Seitokai Yakuindomo - Everyone reflects backs over the semester ...in fantasy mode.

Under the Cherry Blossom Trees Again/The Sleepy Season, Drop/A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing - A new semester begin again at Ousai Academy with a few new faces.

Watching Suzu Hagimura/Ousai/Eiryou Gathering, Another Helping!/Always have Pocket Tissues for Checkups - Suzu get sick, but then gets the 'princess' treatment from Tsuda.

Vice President for Three Days/How Sad, My Sweetheart - Tsuda and Suzu go on their class trip. Kotomi stands in for her brother as vice president for 3 days.

The Highlighted Part Goes Peace, Peace, Peace/Curtail/Revolutionary Peeling Off - The student council spend a day together at the amusement park.

Support Style/A Bulge After Taking It Off/Fighting Girls - The student council model for new school swimsuits ...with padding. The Judo club deals with a stray cat.

Idol Student Council President/Attack Item Twitchy-Twitch - Shino is scouted to become an idol, but when she dreams that Tsuda stolen another girl and wakes up, she decides she rather be close to Tsuda (and watch over him).

I Did Something Good/A Great Presence that Illuminates You/As You Can See, I Wet Myself - The student council have fun with letter doodles that look sexual.

Playing Around with the Waves, I got Soaked/All-Purpose Wings/Summer Night, Summer Morning - The student council is at the beach part 2. At night they have a test of courage.

Ranko Hata Bites On/The OG is Very, Very Good/Enjoying a Coincidental Misunderstanding - The student council discover two of their teachers have become engaged. The former student council president comes to visit. Uomii and Tsuda discover their relatives are getting married and now they are relatives-in-laws too. Shino gets jealous.

Tsuda's Mushroom Falls Within Expectations/Wings Fly/The Pumpkin's Feelings - The student council go mushroom picking. The council spend Halloween together.

An Earnest Reaction to the Secret Terms/Apparently That's True in Some Countries/Snow and Play, Santa's Descendant - The student council tries to update a few of it's rule but ends up just making the rules sound lewd. The student council visits Uomii's school festival.

Happy New Year/The Ability to Stand Above Others/Vir***ity/How Could You Wash That? - The student council goes shopping for the new year. The girls make chocolate for Tsuda

Proper Girls' Talk/Long-Distance Attack/Hand Lines/A Cherry Blossom Sky - Shino realizes currently Uomii is her greatest rival in love for Tsuda, also most of the other girls have growing feelings Tsuda too. Tsuda gives a speak at the graduation ceremony and how they treasure their times together.

The 1080p 1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image transfers on all three releases look fine for the format with great color and some impressive depth and detail, so no problems there, plus all have Japanese DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Stereo lossless mixes with Pro Logic-like surrounds that help make the viewing experience more impactful, though no 5.1 or 11.1 mixes here sadly, even on the Movie on Seitokai. Bloom adds a lesser DTS-MA 2.0 Stereo English dub, but we preferred the Japanese version.

- Ricky Chiang