Three Movies Edited From the Original Series, Plus a Brand-New English Language Track Source: Shout! Factory press release Special Thanks to Tom Chen
DVD cover art for STARZINGER: THE MOVIE COLLECTION. Image courtesy of Shout! Factory. © LEIJI MATSUMOTO, TOEI ANIMATION<In 2011, SciFi Japan reported that Toei Animation had contracted Winckler-Oya Inc. to produce 23 English dubbed feature films from the studio`s classic anime television series like CAPTAIN HARLOCK (??????????????, Uchuu Kaizoku Kyaputen Haarokku, 1978-79), PLANET ROBOT DANGUARD ACE (???? ?????A(???), Wakusei Robo Dangado Eesu, 1977-78) and FIST OF THE NORTH STAR (????, Hokuto no Ken, 1984-87). The goal of THE TOEI CLASSIC ANIME MOVIE COLLECTION was for Toei to directly offer ready-made English language versions to distributors and mainstream audiences in the United States for television, streaming and home video. Shout! Factory has licensed some of the TOEI CLASSIC ANIME MOVIE titles for DVD, starting with GAIKING: THE MOVIE COLLECTION on May 21st. Next up will be the 2-Disc set STARZINGER: THE MOVIE COLLECTION on August 20th. STARZINGER (SF??????????, SF Saiyuuki Sutaajingaa) is a classic of Japanese science-fiction animation, running for 73 episodes from April 2, 1978 – August 24, 1979. Created by artist Leiji Matsumoto of SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO fame, it is an action-packed reinterpretation of the timeless Chinese legend Journey to the West that recasts the Monkey King and his friends as brave space warriors on a mission to save the galaxy. The show originally aired on US television 1980 as SPACEKETEERS, part of the FORCE FIVE syndicated series. The Great Planet responsible for maintaining galactic peace and harmony is losing its power. Once-peaceful aliens have now mutated into violent creatures bent on death, destruction, and invading inhabited planets. The aging monarch of the Great Planet must be replaced by a new queen with special powers that can restore balance to the galaxy and transform the rampaging creatures back to their peaceful selves. The beautiful Princess Aurora must now undertake a dangerous mission to the Great Planet, 30,000 light years away from our solar system. But first she needs a royal guard to ensure her safety on the long voyage... STARZINGER: THE MOVIE COLLECTION features three movies adapted from the original series. Fans and collectors can pre-order this collection now at ShoutFactory.com or Amazon.com. Release Date: August 20, 2013 List Price: $19.93 Number of Discs: 2 Format: NTSC Region: 1 Aspect Ratio: Widescreen Language: English 2.0 Running Time: 336 minutes
About Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is a diversified entertainment company devoted to producing, uncovering and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their careers sharing their music, television and film faves with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s DVD offerings serve up classic, contemporary and cult TV series, riveting sports programs, live music, animation and documentaries in lavish packages crammed with extras. The company’s audio catalogue boasts GRAMMY-nominated box sets, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable “best of” compilations. These riches are the result of a creative acquisitions mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. Shout! Factory is based in Santa Monica, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com.
For more information on THE TOEI CLASSIC ANIME MOVIE COLLECTION, please see the earlier coverage here on SciFi Japan: