In a future not far from our own, on the island of island of Midorijima, a popular cyber game Rhyme, has a way of melding virtual reality so that, under the right circumstances, can physically affect the real world.

Based on the game / visual novel developed and published by Nitro+chiral, DRAMAtical Murder is a BL like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Smartly written, the world is vast and interesting, with complex characters, and an engaging storyline that draws you in with humor, but the deeper you get into the story, the darker it becomes.

Aoba Seragak is a twenty-three year old who lives with his grandmother Tae, and works part time at a junk shop. He seems like your average run-of-the-mill young person, just trying to get through life, but hidden with in Aoba is a secret. A power called scrap. This power, which his grandmother has kept dormant with medication, allows him to mix his consciousness with other people’s through his voice and use it to control them. It’s a power that either allows him to heal their emotional wounds, or destroy their consciousness, leaving them in a coma. Ever at his side, is his faithful Allmate (and AI pet) Ren, a dark blue Japanese Spitz. While in Rhyme, he is able to take on a human form that is not only tall, dark, and handsome, but also completely devoted to Aoba and his wellbeing.

Koujaku, a twenty-seven year old hairdresser, is Aoba’s childhood friend and the leader of a gang called Ribstiez. He appears soft and effeminate, but he’s a total bad-ass and is covered in tattoos.

The youngest of the group, Noiz is reckless, because he feels no pain. He is also Aoba’s first kiss.

The mysterious and child-like Clear is bright and bubbly. He refers to Aoba as master, and loves to sing.

Together this rag-tag group of riffraff take on the evils of Toue Konzern, who have privatized a part of the island into a pleasure dome called Platinum Jail while the island’s original residents being forced to live in the Old Residential District. But, while seemingly wanting to make the entire world happy, Toue’s true goal, is mind control.

Released on Blu-ray through of Sentai Filmworks in glorious 1080p with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The colors of this series are bright, bold and beautiful. Seriously, the colors of this anime are like nothing I’ve ever seen – especially the blues. The character design is also sharp and they are incredibly sexy and often the background looks like vibrant watercolor paintings.

The soundtrack of this series is incredible. Composed by Yuki Hayashi, the sound is just as important to this piece as the visuals. The Original Sound Tracks released to the visual novel (composed by GOATBED) were internal to the story and Hayashi’s follows suit. The soundtrack was one of my main goals for purchasing the Box set. It’s incredible.

As a Mac user, I haven’t entered the world of the visual novel yet, but if they ever release a MAC version, it’s something I want to experience. It looks amazing.

While the Boxset is out of print, you can still purchase copies of the blu-ray through Amazon.

More Anime reviews soon so…

Stay Tuned.

Rating- 4 out of 5

This article is adapted from Life in Cartoon Motion which aims at providing articles, reviews, and even interviews!