Anime Reviews (2010-2019): Radiant - Season One, Part One (a Neo-Tokyo 2099 Anime on Blu-ray Disc Review)

While it’s too early to tell if “Radiant” has what it takes to become a major, memorable series, I will say that it has a lot of potential and I do recommend “Radiant: Season One, Part One”!

TITLE: Radiant – Season One, Part One

ANIME SERIES RELEASE DATE: 2019

DURATION: Episode 1-12 (300 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (16:9), Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 and English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Funimation

RATED: TV PG

Release Date: November 12, 2019

Series Director: Fukuoka Daisei

Directed by Kishi Seiji

Series Composition: Uezu Makoto

Music by Koda Masato

Character Design: Kawano Nozomi

Anime Production: Lerche

Featuring the following voice talent:

Hanamoiri Yumiri/Christopher Llewyn Ramirez as Seth

Hayami Sho/Barry Yandell as Narrator

Hayami Saori/Bryn Apprill as Ullmina Bagliore

Yuki Aoi/Caitlin Glass as Mélie

Koichi Makoto/Derick Snow as Mister Boobrie

Yoshino Hiroyuki/Doug Jackson as Yaga

Koyasu Takehito/Eric Vale as Grimm

Terashima Takuma/Ian Sinclair as Von Teppes

Yusa Koji/Ivan Jasso as Dragunov

Sakura Ayane/Jamie Marchi as Lieselotte

Ogata Kenichi/Kent Williams as Santori

Marcus D. Stimac as Don Bossman

Park Romi/Monica Rial as Alma

Patrick Seitz as Konrad

Miyake Kenta/Ray Chase as Torque

Kimura Ryohei/Ricco Fajardo as Piodan

Toyama Nao/Sakyiwaa Baah as Melba

Oohata Shintarou/Shawn Gann as Doc

Sonny Strait as Melba’s Father

Yamaguchi Kappei/SungWon Cho as Master Lord Majesty

Uchiyama Yumi/Trina Nishimura as Hameline

From the director of Assassination Classroom, explore a magical world as diverse as our own.

Soaring among islands in the sky, witches and wizards fly on broomsticks to defeat Nemesis monsters. But the very sorcerers, who protect citizens, are persecuted by the magic Inquisition. That won’t stop Seth, a gifted young wizard, from seeking the origin of it all—the Radiant.

In 2013, French manfra writer and illustrator Tony Valente created “Radiant”. The series was picked up by a Japanese publisher, Asukashinsha in 2015 and it became the first manfra to be published in Japan.

The series would receive an anime adaptation by Lerche from 2018-2019 with a second season which kicked off in October 2019.

And now the first part of the first season was released on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of Funimation.

The series begins with the introduction of Seth, a boy who lives in the remote village of Pompo Hills. He likes to show off to a young boy that he’s training to be a great sorcerer but unfortunately he messed up a lot, to the dismay of the villagers. And his guardian, Alma (an experienced sorcerer and Nemesis Hunter) tends to scold him quite often because he gets into trouble quite often.

When a Nemesis Egg falls from the sky, only a sorcerer can defeat it and with Alma not at the village at the time, Seth decides to take on Nemesis.

Unfortunately, sorcerers, despite saving humans from nemesis, are looked down by them and Seth wants to change that perception. He intends to defeat the Nemesis and to do that, he must go to Radiant, the land of legend where the Nemesis nest is located. And along the way, he meets new friends to join him on his adventure, Melie (a girl with a split personality) with her bird-like friend Mister Bobley and Doc (a research sorcerer).

VIDEO:

“Radiant” is presented in 1080p High Definition (16:9). Featuring anime production by Lerche, the series is well-animated, vibrant on Blu-ray and I saw no issues with banding or any artifacts during my viewing of the series.

AUDIO:

“Radiant” is presented in Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 and English Dolby TrueHD 5.1. Crystal clear dialogue and music through the front channels.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Radiant – Season One, Part One” comes with the following special feature:

RADIANT: A Sorcerer’s Tale – (13:56) ADR Director Caitlyn Glass and Adapted Scriptwriter Aaron Dismuke discuss on working on the series.
RADIANT: Behind-the-Scenes – (24:10) A featurette about creator Tony Valente creating the manga and how it was adapted into an anime series. And interviews with the Japanese voice talent of the series hosted by comedian Sunshine Ikezaki.
Episode 12 Commentary – Featuring audio commentary with ADR Director Caitlyn Glass, Dani Chambers (voice of Taj), Ivan Jasso (voice of Dragunov) and Shawn Gann (voice of Doc).
Textless Opening Song
Textless Closing Song

EXTRAS:

“Radiant – Season One, Part One” comes with both the Blu-ray and DVD of the series and a Funimation Digital Copy code.

While watching the first episode of “Radiant”, one may think, is this another “Naruto” or “Black Clover” type of series? A story about a person who excels and fighting and wants to be something greater?

While there are similarities, “Radiant” actually is much different as it’s about a young sorcerer in training whose mission is not to be a great sorcerer but to show people that sorcerers are cool and shouldn’t be feared or hated.

In a way, the more you see it, it kind of reflects today’s society about how one shouldn’t hate another person who is different. They just want to be like everyone else, granted they have skills but they should treat them as lower beings.

“Radiant” is interesting in that way. Seth is a person who is a bit naive but he strives to learn, to get stronger and hopes he can defeat the alien enemy, Nemesis.

Along the way, he meets new friends Melie and Doc, but he also meets other not-so-good sorcerers who uses their skills to steal and hurt people. And tracking down bad sorcerers are the Inquisition led by Captain Dragunov. And Dragunov’s tasked is to capture Seth and bring him in alive.

For the most part, the first half of season one (episodes 1-12) are character introduction, showcasing Seth and his adventures meeting Melie and Doc, and the hardships he’ll encounter due to his erratic use of his sorcerer power.

So, I’m very much look forward to watching part two and seeing how this group grows especially in taking on their missions.

With that being said, “Radiant” is no doubt a series that many fans worldwide support and one that many people who dream of working in the manga or anime industry can be proud of.

Creator of the manfra (French manga) Tony Valente has created a series that is beloved by fans worldwide and his manga series has received an anime adaptation by Lerche (the studio who animated the “Assassination Classroom” series and the “Danganronpa” animated series), not one season, it’s now going on two.

And having reviewed anime for so long, you don’t really see anime series adapted from a non-Japanese creator’s work. But it goes to show the power of anime and many studios discovering talent worldwide and knowing that releasing their anime worldwide, there are those who are supportive and excited about it. It’s such a change in the anime industry that I’m glad to see Valente’s work to receive this adaptation. It’s pretty awesome!

Lerche did a magnificent job with the anime production and for the most part, voice acting on both the Japanese and English soundtrack are fantastic.

While it’s too early to tell if “Radiant” has what it takes to become a major, memorable series, I will say that it has a lot of potential and I do recommend “Radiant: Season One, Part One”!

Anime Reviews (2010-2019): Radiant – Season One, Part One (a Neo-Tokyo 2099 Anime on Blu-ray Disc Review)

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