Plot: What’s it about?
Agami is a young man from Garden Indigo, a small town that centers on a mining operation. He has spent a lot of time looking for rare crystals under the town, a common hobby of course. After all, the crystals known as Giftdium can be valuable and are always sought after. When he and his friend Kaon are exploring and happen upon some ruins, they discover a crystal unlike any other they’ve ever seen. This crystal is huge, but the size alone isn’t the reason it stands out as so unusual. Inside the crystal is a girl, trapped inside until Amagi frees her. But when she is released, it triggers a chain of events that no one could expect. The girl in the crystal is named Felia and while she seems nice enough, she apparently isn’t beloved by all. Soon robotic forces sent by a mysterious government agency arrive, with plans to recapture Felia. She seems outgunned, but she has a secret weapon of her own in the form of a powerful crystal guardian. With all of these things happening around her, Felia is of great interest, but can Amagi manage to figure out where she came from and why she has such importance?
Comet Lucifer is a twelve episode anime series that combines drama, romance, comedy, action, and of course, mecha. With all these elements in play, the series can feel a little disjointed at times. The story is fun, but can be a little hard to follow and has some gaps in narrative, to be sure. I think Comet Lucifer tries to be so many things and in some areas, that makes it a little weak. Perhaps more focus on certain areas, such as mecha could have elevated the series and smoothed it out somewhat. But don’t think I didn’t enjoy the series, as I did. I just think with some polish and a tighter focus, Comet Lucifer could have been even better. I found the mecha element to be the strongest, as those scenes were creative and a lot of fun to watch. The series is heavy on action, but the mecha quotient isn’t as high as I would like. But the mecha we do have is well done and the more standard action is still fun, so there’s a lot to like from that perspective. I also think Comet Lucifer has a great look, as the artwork is skilled and the animation is a lot of fun to watch from a creative angle. The character designs are solid, with Felia standing out more than anyone else, while the action scenes have an epic, kinetic presence. Comet Lucifer might bite off more than it can chew in some ways, but it is still rock solid fun and worth a look for fans of mecha/action driven anime.
Video: How’s it look?
The episodes are presented in 1.78:1 widescreen. I think the series looks quite good here, but not up there with the best anime transfers I’ve seen. The image looks good and even great at times, but never pops off the screen like some shows do. The detail level is a little low and I’m not sure if the softness is due to the source or the transfer. The colors suffer from some hiccups here and there also, but nothing serious. Even considering those issues, the series looks good and I think fans can overlook some minor softness and banding concerns.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The lone audio option is the original Japanese soundtrack in a DTS HD 2.0 presentation. The track sounds great and the series has the kind of sound design to make it shine. The action scenes pack the most punch of course, but the music also comes across in lively fashion. I found no issues with dialogue either, it is never lost in the mix. This is a great treatment and it makes sure the series’ action scenes really stand out. This release also includes English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Clean opening & closing animations
- Six music videos
- From Garden Indigo’s Train Window shorts
- Trailers for other Sentai Filmworks releases
The Bottom Line
This is a fun, if overly busy anime series that provides some solid action, as well as mecha madness. From a technical perspective, the visuals aren’t remarkable, but the soundtrack balances it out. Recommended.
