NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Funimation Blu-ray (August 2019):

Firstly, in 2011, we reviewed High School of the Dead on Blu-ray, which had strong 'Zombie' apocalypse themes as well as belonging in this fetishized genre. Prison School is a similar 'bawdy-infused' Japanese anime. As we do get some of this genre sent to us - we don't usually cover it often despite followers requests to do so mentioning specific titles. This arrived last year and I recently had the opportunity to watch this 2-disc Prison School Complete Series Blu-ray package. I enjoyed as it was almost a parody of this unique fantasy genre being so over-the-top with plenty of perversities from the typical views up schoolgirl uniform skirts (white panties always a symbol in Japanese culture) from large breasts to face-sitting, golden showers, homosexuality and lesbianism plus, notably, female domination. It is hilarious in its extreme-ness. As with High School of the Dead, I added some of the more risqué NSFW (Not Safe For Work - minor nudity) screen captures at the bottom of this review. I'm sure most will get the idea.

NOTE: There is a 24-minute 13th episode - also known as an 'OVA' (Mad Wax OVA) but it is not part of this package. These OVAs can be an after-thought to extract more profit from the niche following of a series. They are generally released directly to the video market without first going through a theatrical release or television broadcast.

Funimation have transferred Prison School to Blu-ray. This contains all 12 episodes of the first, and only, season on two Blu-ray discs. The first is dual-layered with 9 episodes (Peep Job, The Man Who Viewed Too Much, A Mighty Spurt, Take Me Out to the Sumoland, The School’s Number One Most Treacherous Man, Vengeance is Hana’s, Meiko’s Delicious Restaurant, The Diary of Andre, and Full of Bodily Fluids) and the second is single-layered with the next 3 parts (It’s a Bum-derful Life, Eryngii Brockovich and Good Morning, Prison!). Each run about 25-minuites and give is almost 5 hours of the show. The bitrate is modest but it is digital animation so there is nothing really to go wrong - no noise or artifacts - it is spotlessly clean. Outside colors are bright - indoor are purposely more subdued. There are inventive, artsy, effects and some, predictable, repeated visuals and fast cuts. Overall, I thought it looked good in 1080P and, although not at the level of Disney-level animation, it was better than I anticipated. Certainly good enough to get the inference of the series' humor.

On their Blu-ray, Funimation offer the options of a Dolby TrueHD 2.0 channel stereo in the original Japanese or Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround in the English DUB. There are separations and depth is the series has plenty of violence. The score is credited to Kôtarô Nakagawa who has done similar work but each episode is bookended by the "Al NO PRISON" (The Prison Boys) and "TSUMIBUKAKI ORETACHI NO SANKA" (closing theme) that is lively with energy. Funimation offer mandatory English subtitles on the Japanese track. These are Region 'A' Blu-rays.

The Funimation Blu-ray has extras that include some fun commentaries by the participants who did the English DUBs. For Episode One we get Sonny Strait, Kristen McGuire and Austin Tindle having some enjoyment with frequent innuendo and laughter. Another for the last episode with Strait, Tia Lynn Ballard and Christopher Bevins plus episode 11 has a video commentary with Clifford Chapin, Alexis Tipton, Tia Lynn Ballard where we can see the three participants and the feature runs in a small screen, or vice-versa. All good and helps make light of some of the shows seriousness. Nice addition. The first BD has a trailer for SOX and Bikini Warriors that look to be more perversity-infused anime series. Funimation add textless sequences for the opening and closing themes (perhaps in case the text got in the way of seeing anything naughty) and there are some adverts for other Funimation titles (commercials and trailers.)

So five boys in a prison that is part of an all-girls high school. Riding crops, martial arts kicks and more batter the male perpetrators. Love blossoms - kinda. One of the boys gets addicted to the physical domination. It's offensive on so many levels if you take it seriously. It's comedy - much of it satiric to this bizarrely evolved Japanese fantasy fetish-bountiful genre of 'cheesecake' objectification of female bodies. You only have to see the absurdity of the most sadistic 'guard's volleyball-sized breasts not take it too frigg'in seriously. I had a few laughs - very silly fun and the Blu-ray is a decently produced package. 

Gary Tooze