Outbreak Company: Complete Collection

Kano Shinichi is obsessed with anime, video games, and manga—and is therefore just who the Japanese government is looking for to spread culture to a new realm: the fantasy world of Eldant, recently discovered through a hyperspace portal. In Outbreak Company, Shinichi works to bring cultural upheaval to Eldant with the help of assorted harem characters, including the buxom half-elf maid Myucel, small-chested teen empress Petralka, busty military commander Koganuma, and bouncy werewolf Elbia. These descriptions are pertinent because, true to character type, Shinichi repeatedly remarks on bosom sizes (of course, as a typical harem nice-guy, he never purposely takes advantage of his situation). Outbreak Company is extremely self-aware as an otaku anime, and its cultural export premise allows for blatant call-outs, thereby serving up a kind of hipster fan service. But while the show's efforts to address classism are laudable (half-elves, for example, are a social minority, and Petralka's respect for them comes hard-earned), they are also rather facile. Still, this will likely please anime veterans looking for variety. Presenting all 12 episodes from 2013 in separate DVD and Blu-ray editions, in Japanese with English subtitles, rated TV-14, this is recommended, overall. (L. Martincik)