“Campione! Complete Collection” is a harem anime series for those who want action, humor and a bit of mature fan service but also have an interest in mythology.  A series worth checking out on Blu-ray!
Image courtesy of © Joe Takeduki, Sikorsky/SHUEISHA, CAMPIONE! Committee. All Rights Reserved.
TITLE: Campione! Complete Collection
YEAR: 2012
DURATION: Episodes 1-13
BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, English and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, English Subtitles
COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks
RATED: TV MA
Release Date: October 15, 2013
Originally Created by Jo Takezuki
Original Character Designs: Sikorsky
Directed by Keizou Kusakawa
Series Composition by Jukki Hanada
Music by Tatsuya Katou
Character Design by Masakazu Ishikawa
Art Director: Eiji Iwase
Chief Animation Director: Masakazu Ishikawa
Anime Production: Barnum Studio, Diomedea
Featuring the following voice talent:
YÅko Hikasa/Monica Rial as Erica Blandelli
Yoshitsugu Matsuoka/Blake Shepard as GodÅ Kusanagi
Ai Kakuma/Meghan MacDonald as Hikari Mariya
Eri Kitamura/Genevieve Simmons as Liliana KranjÄar
Junko Minagawa/Leraldo Anzaldua as Verethragna
Kana Hanazawa/Hilary Haag as Yuri Mariya
Nobutoshi Canna/Christopher Patton as Perseus
Rina Hidaka/Luci Christian as Shizuka Kusanagi
Sachika Misawa/Juliet Simmons as Arianna Hyama Aleardi
Shinobu Matsumoto as TÅma Amakasu
Takuya Eguchi/Mark X. Laskowski as Salvadore Doni
Unshou Ishizuka/John Swasey as Sasha Dejanstahl Voban
Yui Ogura/Brittney Karbowski as Athena
Yuka Saitou/Carli Mosier as Ena Seishūin
Atsuko Tanaka as Lucrezia Zora
Fumihiko Tachiki/Christopher Ayres as Narrator
Kaori Ishihara/Brittney Karbowski as Metis
Tarô Yamaguchi as Ama no Murakumo
Toru Ohkawa/David Wald as Susanoo
Yuiko Tatsumi/Sasha Paysinger as Pandora
Some people suddenly find religion, but for 16 year old Kusanagi Godo, it’s that REALLY old time religion that’s found him! As the result of defeating the God of War in mortal combat, Godo’s stuck with the unwanted position of Campione, or God Slayer, whose duty is to fight Herectical Gods whenever they try to muscle in on the local turf. Not only is this likely to make Godo roadkill on the Highway to Heaven, it’s also a job that comes with a lot of other problems. Like how to deal with the fact that his “enhanced status” is attracting a bevy of overly-worshippy female followers. After all, they’re just there to aid him in his demi-godly duties, right? So why is it that their leader, the demonically manipulative sword-mistress Erica Brandelli, seems to have such a devilish interest in encouraging some VERY unorthodox activities? Get ready for immortal affairs, heavenly harems and lots of dueling deities taking pious in the face as the ultimate smash, bash and thrash of the titans rocks both Heaven and Earth in CAMPIONE!
In 2008, Jo Taketsuki’s light novel “Campione!” was released. Still ongoing in Japan, the light novel would lead to a 2011 manga series published in Shueisha’s “Super Dash & Go” and in 2012, an anime adaptation courtesy of Diomedea.
And now, the 13-episode harem anime series, “Campione! Complete Series” will be released in the United States courtesy of Sentai Filmworks.
“Campione!” is a series that revolves around protagonist Kusanagi Godou, an unpopular guy in high school, who goes to Italy to deliver a stone grimiore, given to him by his grandfather, to deliver it to an old friend and a former owner. But immediately he is confronted by a blonde knight named Erica Blandelli who wants the stone grimiore.
Meanwhile, trying to avoid Erica, he runs into the a young guy who takes the stone grimiore and gives it back.
Not knowing what’s going on, he sees two rogue gods in battle, one who is the young guy he saw earlier, who happens to be Verethgragna, the Persian god of victory.   Erica Blandelli tries to assist Godou by telling him to use the stone grimiore and then giving him a kiss to activate a special golden sword.
Godou ends up fighting against Verethgragna and kills him, thus becoming a god slayer and given the name, Campione!
As Kusagi goes back to Japan, one morning, he wakes up to a nude Erica who has moved to Japan and proclaims herself as Godou’s #1 and she will dedicate her life to serve him and moves in with him.
While the Society of Magicians test Godou and entrust him with an important artifact, along the way he meets a shrine princess named Mariya Yuri and a mage/knight named Liliana Kranjcar, each who all begin to develop a feeling of wanting to protect Godou and begin to have feelings for him.
But there are Heretic Gods who want Godou dead, Athena, daughter of Zeus and Metis and Pereseus, the Legendary Dragon Killer.
VIDEO:
“Campione! Complete Collection” is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:78:1 aspect ratio). This is the first time I have watched anime produced by Diomedea (formerly known as Studio Barcelona). As one can expect from an anime series, there is a slight softness but there were obvious intended use of making the anime look different compared to others by using video noise to give the anime its own style. But for the most part, character designs are really well done and are well-shaded. CG lighting effects are well done and some scenes look better than others, but for the most part, picture quality is good.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
“Campione! Complete Collection” is presented in English and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. There is a good dynamic range to the audio with crystal clear dialogue and music. Wish it had a 5.1 soundtrack but for the most part, the anime sounds good coming through the front channels.
Subtitles are in English.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Sankarea: Undying Love – The Complete Series” comes with the clean opening and ending animation.
“Campione! Complete Collection” is a harem anime series that is easy to follow, is short at 13-episodes long and has a good balance of humor, fan service and action.
While the series could have easily been banal, what sets “Campione!” apart from other anime series is its use of mythology. This is not some standard harem anime series about women competing for one guy’s attention (it does have that but it’s not a major focus in the storyline), there is actually a storyline that revolves around Godou taking on various heretic gods, back history of a god’s history and how it’s all integrated into the storyline.
Granted, I’m sure there is more that is touched upon in the light novel but for the anime series, the first 13 episodes focuses on character development for Erica Blandelli, Yuri Mariya and Liliana Kranjcar, and how the three want to protect Godou.
And also, Godou is a straight-laced guy who is not uber-perverted and is quite reserve and caring for the people he comes across. Yes, this is banal but how the mythology and the action is integrated, makes this harem anime series different from other similar anime titles.
For those wondering why the anime series is TV MA, primarily its for Erica often being found in Godou’s bed naked and her panties are laying around the bedroom. Also, one interesting way that the young women can transfer their powers to Godou during battle is through a kiss. But French kissing with the use of tongue makes the power transfers work quickly, so this is probably one of the few non-hentai anime where you will see French kissing, the use of tongue and saliva dripping from both characters mouths.
As for the Blu-ray, Diomedea did a good job with animation and utilizing digital noise to give the series its own unique look. Picture quality is a bit soft, but not surprising considering this is a TV series. Audio is lossless stereo and both Japanese and English dub tracks feature great acting on both. If there was one low point of this Blu-ray release, is its very few special features included (only clean and opening ending themes).
Overall, “Campione! Complete Collection” is a harem anime series for those who want action, humor and a bit of mature fan service but also have an interest in mythology.  A series worth checking out on Blu-ray!
