Fantasy anime series can be very peculiar, but few are quite as strange as ClassicaLoid, in which Mozart and Beethoven (or weirdly oversized replicas) inhabit a mansion—left to young Kanae by her grandmother (along with its huge pipe organ)—that is scheduled for demolition but rescued at the last minute. As the episodes progress, the two musicians are joined by similar oddballs representing Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, and Liszt (some in female form), who are all capable of producing modernized versions of their most recognizable melodies that are largely synthesizer-based and wield enormous power over the masses. Much of the series plays like a sitcom, with Kanae and her slacker best friend Kagura constantly having to deal with the ClassicaLoids’ antics (many involving cooking). But there is an overarching plot that focuses on the imperious figure of Bach, as well as giant robots, hordes of zombie-like humans, the Voyager mission, and enormous alien spacecraft. Of course, these disparate elements do not exactly form a logical narrative, and the characters tend to scream a lot, but the colorful psychedelic animation is engaging. Although advertised as the "complete collection," this set only compiles the debut 2016 season (a 2017 second season has aired). Presenting all 25 episodes in a Blu-ray edition, in Japanese with English subtitles, rated TV-14, this is a strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)
ClassicaLoid: Complete Collection
(2016) 3 discs. 625 min. Blu-ray: $79.98. Sentai Filmworks (avail. from most distributors). Volume 33, Issue 4
ClassicaLoid: Complete Collection
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: