High School DxD HERO is the fourth season to the popular anime series High School DxD, which is also based on Ichiei Ishibumi’s light novel series. The anime’s fourth season was adapted by studio Passione and published by Kadokawa Pictures.

You’ll notice a big contrast with HERO compared to the previous three anime seasons (High School DxD, New & BorN), and there is a reason for that. To explain this, we have to take a look back at the show’s third season High School DxD BorN which aired back in 2015. The third season started by following the source material much like its previous seasons, however, for some bizarre reason, the studio adapting the anime had decided to go towards an anime original direction, even though there are tons of material that can be covered.

Note: Due to the artwork presented this unboxing is declared ‘Not Safe For Work‘ so readers advised.

Going into anime original territory meant that future anime seasons couldn’t animate any more of the source material if they wanted to keep the original stuff ‘canon’ to their adaptation, and the creator himself supposedly hated this completely. As such, High School DxD moved to a different team altogether. The first three seasons were animated by studio TNK with director Tetsuya Yanagisawa and character designer Junji Gotou, and replacing those folks were studio Passione with director Yoshifumi Sueda and character designer Makoto Uno. The studio, as well as Gotou and Uno all, worked on Rail Wars if you’re curious.

With a new team, they managed to get the anime back on track with Episode 0 to retcon the anime original direction from High School DxD BorN (episodes 9 to 12), concluding the story of the light novel’s 6th volume and allowing the main season to adapt the events of the 9th & 10th volumes.

Funimation brought the fourth season over once again and kept the consistency by providing a limited edition. Unlike the previous three seasons, the limited edition for this set is very different and follows the same model of recent releases from the distributor, thus providing more physical content to make up for the $84.98 retail price.

Included in this limited edition are as follows; a booklet featuring character information and fanservicey artwork, a light novel called High School DxD 0 which was included in the Japanese Blu-ray volumes of this season, a fabric poster, and four fanservicey art cards. The main series, which is held in a single Blu-ray case, and the booklet are housed inside a rigid box with a slipcover. The fabric poster and art cards are housed in a cardboard box. In addition, both that cardboard box and the light novel are placed outside of the rigid box set.

Released in April 2019, High School DxD HERO from Funimation contains the entire fourth season (episodes 0-12) across two Blu-ray discs and two DVD discs. Audio options available include the main Japanese language with English subtitles and the Funimation English dub. The white subtitles are locked during Blu-ray playback and the discs are region locked for A on Blu-ray players and for 1 on DVD players in NTSC format.

The on-disc bonus features are exclusive to the Blu-ray discs. In addition, all of the episodes are based on the Japanese Blu-ray versions – in other words, it’s uncut and uncensored for the ultimate BOOSTO.

High School DxD HERO‘s limited edition is now out of print, but select stock may turn up on Amazon US. A standard Blu-ray release is available, and a Region B compatible release is coming to the UK via Manga Entertainment.

Blu-ray Specs:

Languages: English, Japanese

Audio: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0

Video: 1080p High Definition Native format with 16:9 ratio

Region: A

Subtitles: English

Locked Subtitles: Yes

Discs: 2

DVD Specs:

Languages: English, Japanese

Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0

Video: Standard Definition in NTSC format with 16:9 ratio

Region: 1

Subtitles: English

Locked Subtitles: No

Discs: 2

Plot Synopsis (via Funimation):

“Bounce into the latest adventure with Issei and his band of beauties! Issei is suddenly attacked in Kyoto by a mysterious fox yokai – whose mother is missing. When it looks like the Chaos Brigade might be the ones behind the fox yokai’s missing mother, it’s up to the Grabbing Dragon and his voluptuous vixens to face them. Plenty of trouble awaits Issei as he takes on new foes and looks to get his rise – as a hero!”

Blu-ray On-Disc Extra Features:

Disc 1:

Episode 5 English Dub Commentary

Disc 2:

Episode 11 English Dub Commentary

High School DxD: Boobies & Heroes

Web Previews

Textless Opening Song “Switch”

Textless Closing Song “Mote nai Kuse ni (｀;ω;´)”

Funimation Trailers

DVD On-Disc Extra Features:

Disc 2:

Funimation Trailers

Limited Edition Extras:

Rigid Box with Clean Artwork & a Slipcover featuring Clean Artwork with Title on Spine

64-page Booklet featuring Character & Eyecatch Gallery Artwork

52-page ‘High School DxD 0’ Light Novel Booklet

Four Artcards

Fabric Poster

High School DxD HERO is available as a Blu-ray & DVD combo pack from Funimation.