Disclaimer: This review covers "Baka and Test - Summon the Beasts," Seasons 1, 2 and the 2011 OVA.Released by Funimation, the anime "Baka and Test - Summon the Beasts" originally came out on DVD and Bluray combo packs, a new type of media strategy at the time. As typical for the company, it would then be re-released in a cheaper package: this time, on DVD only. Only a handful of shows got such a distinct reduction, making the original Blurays more valuable. Exactly why a cheap Bluray wasn't released will never be known: was it to save money, or an issue with Japanese licensors? Regardless, even the DVD-only sets are now slowly going out of print, so best not to stall yourself if you have any interest in the show, and personally, I didn't feel like much was lost without 1080p quality for this particular series. This is all mostly irrelevant, but perhaps of interest nonetheless.Into the show itself: "Baka and Test" is stupid. It's even in the name: "Baka" is a common Japanese word for "dummy" or "idiot." A romantic-comedy set in high-school, Fumizuki Academy is a bit unusual, dividing students early on based on test scores into separate classes. The strong students are assigned to Class A, with richer benefits like better classrooms, tools, and food. The lead character is Akihisa, one of multiple characters who get assigned to Class F, with barely acceptable tables and chairs, and other lacking amenitites. He and his friends, including best friends Yuji, Hideyoshi and Kota, and girls Mizuki, Minami, all spend their time at the school trying to pass their classes with these limited resources, and take advantage of limited-time events and competitions that might offer them a way up the ladder if they succeed. The relationship between the students is a bit complicated too. Mizuki is actually rather bright, but failed her exam due to a fever, the reason for her being put in Class F. Akihisa and Mizuki both secretly have a crush on each other: Akihisa fought for Mizuki to have a second chance, and his reasons to get out of Class F are solely for her benefit rather than his own. Mizuki, on the other hand, doesn't mind being in Class F at all, since that's where Akihisa is. Aside from that, Minami also has a secret crush on goof-ball Aki, and a love-triangle ensues. Other characters have relationships of their own. It would be sweet, if all the boys weren't such perverts, often looking for opportunities to see their classmates in their underwear, and getting massive nosebleeds at simply thinking of the idea. Naturally, the girls poke their eyes out whenever they get caught. 
On top of all THAT, the school also has a semi-magical ability for each student to summon Avatars of themselves: cute artificial chibi-like characters that represent them and their personalities. They can be used in fights or competitions. This allows for some limited intense action to take place between classes, like advanced augmented-reality games. Or, during quiet times, the Avatars might pop out and yell out inner thoughts, exposing the boys' perverted thoughts even more. The whole thing is porbably more complicated than it needs to be. And the details don't matter too much either. Even if you dropped in mid-way through the series, it's obvious what each character is like, and what their motivations are. "Baka and Test" has simple archtypal characters that are each fun in their own way, and those personalities elevates the show to being fun to watch throughout. Even after two dozen episodes, with those same characters doing the same stupid things they did in the first episode, I never felt bored, and looked forward to seeing everyone each time like old friends. It's a type of magic that anime seems aptly capable of, moreso than any other medium. Aside from being fun to watch, there's plenty of juicy intrigue with those love triangles that, ultimately, don't go anywhere in particular, but are exciting regardless. And there's a decent amount of lighthearted fanservice, never going too far, but tempting fans of these cute characters.Speaking of visuals, "Baka and Test" is a mixed bag. All the characters (both boys and girls) are cute and well designed, but pastel colors and pupil-less eyes and simplistic details make them look a little uncanny: they look good, but also cheap. Some background effects can also make the show look more muddled then it should. Animation is generally acceptable at best, which fits well for the limited visuals. For 2010, the show doesn't look great, an example of low-quality anime from a animation studio that was just starting out at a time. The music is peppy and fun, and the English dub helps sell the fun personality of the series. "Baka and Test - Summon the Beasts" isn't essential, but is a fun diversion to get lost in, like a typical popular sitcom. I'll always look forward to returning to the show when I feel a little down.