The third volume of “Kill la Kill” reveals the killer of Ryuko’s father and thus setting up a major battle between Ryuko and the person responsible. Overall, an action-packed/humorous volume of “Kill la Kill”!
Image courtesy of © Ume Aoki – HOUBUNSHA/HidamariHeights. All Rights Reserved.
TITLE: Hidamari Sketch SP
DURATION: OVA Episodes 1-2 (50 Minutes)
BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, Subtitles: English and Spanish
COMPANY: Aniplex
RATED: TV PG
Release Date: December 23, 2014
Originally created by Ume Aoki
Director: Akiyuki Shinbo
Chief Animation Director: Yoshiaki Ito
Script by Miku Ooshima and Nahoko Hasegawa
Music by Tomoki Kikuya
Character Design by Yoshiaki Ito
Art Director: Hisaharu Iijima
Chief Animation Director: Yoshiaki Ito
Anime Production by SHAFT
Featuring the following voice talent:
Ami Koshimizu/Erica Mendez as Ryuuko Matoi
Ryoka Yuzuki/Carrie Keranen as Satsuki Kiryuuin
Aya Suzaki/Christine Marie Cabanos as Mako Mankanshoku
Hiroyuki Yoshino/Steve Cannon as HÅka Inumuta
Katsuyuki Konishi as Tsumugu Kinagase
Mayumi Shintani/Sarah Williams as Nonon Jakuzure
Nobuyuki Hiyama/Grant George as Uzu Sanageyama
Romi Park as Ragyo Kiryuuin
Shinichiro Miki/Matthew Mercer as AikurÅ Mikisugi
Tetsu Inada/Patrick Seitz as Ira GamagÅri
Toshihiko Seki as Senketsu
Yukari Tamura as Nui Harime
Even though studying at a prestigious art school like Yamabuki is hard work, the girls who live at the Hidamari Apartments always manage to squeeze in time for a little fun and exploration. And when they actually get a day off? Watch out world!
Yuno, Sae, Hiro, Miyako and new students Nori and Nazuna return to create another masterpiece of life as art, with all-new adventures that include swimming, pajama parties, trips to the art museum, and even an all-you-can-eat diner courtesy of the landlady! Of course, there’s always a little housework that has to be squeezed in, but with a pinch of resourcefulness and a dash of creativity, even the most onerous of chores can be turned into something magical.
The fun continues as Yuno, Sae, Hiro, Miyako, Nori and Nazuna take part in swimming, pajama parties, trips to an art museum and an all-you-can eat diner during their short vacation time.
Will all have fun? Find out in “Hidamari Sketch SP”!
What is “Hidamari Sketch”?
What started out as a four panel comic strip by Ume Aoki began to grow to something much more significant as her story “Hidamari Sketch†(Sunshine Sketch) about a group of young artists living in the same apartment complex was serialized in “Manga Time Kirara Carat†in 2004 and was released in the US in 2008.
In 2007, “Hidamari Sketch†was made into a 12-episode anime series courtesy of SHAFT and also produced two special episodes and due to its popularity, a second season aired in 2008 followed by a new third season titled “Hidamari Sketch x Hoshimittsu†which began airing in January 2010. Sentai Filmworks has released the first season on DVD.
The series is directed by Akikyuki Shinbo (“Maria Holicâ€, “MoonPhaseâ€, “Pani Poni Dash!â€), Character designs are by Yoshiaki Ito (“Maria Holicâ€, “Dai-Guardâ€, “Magic User’s Clubâ€, “Silent Mobiusâ€) and music by Tomoki Kikuya (“D.C. II: Da Capo IIâ€, “Pani Poni Dash!â€, “Magikanoâ€).
The series revolves around four students who live in “Hidamari-So†(Hidamari Apartments). The main character Yuno has been accepted to Yamabuki Art High School and becomes friends with her classmate Miyako and second year students Hiro and Sae and the series features life as students.
The main characters of “Hidamari Sketch SP″ are:
Yuno – The main character and a brunette with two X-shaped hairpins.  A talented artist, Yuno wants to become a great artist.
Miyako – Yuno’s classmate and nextdoor neighbor. Vibrant, active and loves to eat. Also, has a child-like personality.
Hiro – Hiro is a second year student and lives under Yuno’s apartment. The red head of the group, she tries to help her younger friends but at the same time, worries about her weight a lot.
Sae – Known for her purple hair and wears eye glasses, Sae is a second year student and is a talented photographer and writer. She is supportive towards Yuno but can also have a mischievous side.
Nazuna – A blonde character that is shy, klutzy and has an inferiority complex.
VIDEO:
“Hidamari Sketch SP” is presented in 1080p High Definition and thus making the special colorful and sharp. For the most part, the series has a charming and fun style to it and each episode, animation is constantly being changed up. In one, you can watch the girls as normal but the next thing you know, you’ll see the characters super deformed, their faces stretched out or some unusual art style which is pretty cool to look at. Painted backgrounds range from detailed to simple. If anything, the direction is quite mixed up but it works for this kind of anime series.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
“Hidamari Sketch SP” is presented in Japanese DTS-HD MA 2.0. For a more immersive soundtrack, those with a modern home theater receiver can easily set it to stereo on all channels. But for the most part, audio is clear and understandable.
Subtitles are in English Screen Text, English Dialog & Screen Text and Spanish.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“”Hidamari Sketch SP”″ comes with the clean opening and ending themes.
I have to admit that at first, I was expecting “Hidamari Sketch†to be something like “Azumanga Daioh†but the series turns out to be quite a random series which feature episodes that spotlight the student’s life at school and what happens outside of school. There really isn’t any significant storyline-wise if one is expecting some sort of conclusion or serious story arc.
If anything, the series captures Ume Aoki’s four-panel manga as “Hidamari Sketch†is a slice-of-life comedy series that people will either appreciate or just want to pass.
The two OVA special is an extension of the series and in some ways, an extension of the TV series. Granted, the OVA’s looks so much better because it’s in HD and on Blu-ray and with most OVA’s, SHAFT focused on colors and adding more shading for the characters.
Overall, “Hidamari Sketch SP” is for those who enjoyed the original TV series. While you don’t need to have previous knowledge of the TV series to enjoy these two OVA episodes, I do recommend watching the series to understand the background of these art club students.
A fun “Hidamari Sketch SP” Blu-ray release with two 25-minute OVA’s. While the two OVA’s may be too short for some, for those who watched the TV series will find “Hidamari Sketch SP” as an extension of the first season with humor, sweetness and a lot of cuteness.
