SciFi Japan

    The Yamato races against time to save the Earth in the hit film SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO, coming to DVD and Blu-ray from the Australian label Madman. Photo courtesy of Madman Entertainment. © 2010 Space Battleship Yamato Production Committee.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Region 4 Home Video Release in December Source: Madman Entertainment On December 14th, the live action feature film SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO (???????, Supeesu Batorushippu Yamato, 2010) will be released on DVD (Region 4, PAL) and Blu-ray (Region B) in Australia by Madman Entertainment. The movie is not currently scheduled for release in North America or the United Kingdom. Directed by Takashi Yamazaki (RETURNER, the ALWAYS- SUNSET ON THIRD STREET films), the film is based on the hugely popular SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO anime franchise (originally shown in America as STAR BLAZERS). It topped the box office upon its release in Japan, earning $12 million (US) in just five days. In the year 2194, alien marauders called the Gamilons bombard the Earth with planetary bombs sent from space. Humanity fights back but is defeated and escapes underground. Five years later, those who remain on the devastated planet gather together

    Cover art for the LEGEND OF THE MILLENNIUM DRAGON Blu-Ray/ DVD Combo Pack. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. © 2011 The Legend of The Millennium Dragon Film Partners.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Anime Feature Film from the Producers of NARUTO Now on Sale Source: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Official Movie Site: onigamiden.jp (Japan) Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released the anime film LEGEND OF THE MILLENNIUM DRAGON (???, Onigamiden, 2011) as a 2-Disc Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack. Based on the 2004 novel by author Takafumi Takada, the movie was produced by Studio Pierrot (BLEACH, NARUTO) and TV Tokyo. The creative team includes director/writer Hirotsugu Kawasaki (SPRIGGAN, NARUTO THE MOVIE: LEGEND OF THE STONE OF GELEL), screenwriter Naruhisa Arakawa (SPICE AND WOLF, DRAGON BALL Z), and voice actors Kensho Ono (the Japanese voice of Harry Potter), Satomi Ishihara (CINNAMON THE MOVIE), and Shidou Nakamura (DEATH NOTE). Sony`s publicity materials describe LEGEND OF THE MILLENNIUM DRAGON as "A spectacular journey of an unwilling young hero thrust into a mysterious past full of monsters, dragons, and strange hidden powers. Through a series

    Announcement for the GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER Blu-ray and DVD. Photo courtesy of Warner Home Video. © Hiroya Oku/Shueisha © 2011 Gantz Film Partners

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Source: NEW PEOPLE Entertainment, Warner Home Video Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US) Warner Home Video has announced that the sci-fi thriller GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER (?? PERFECT ANSWER, Gantsu Pafekuto Ansaa, 2011) will be released by NEW PEOPLE Entertainment in January, 2012. The film concludes the story begun in director Shinsuke Sato`s GANTZ (??, Gantsu, 2011), and stars leading Japanese actors Kazunari Ninomiya (LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA) and Kenichi Matsuyama (DEATH NOTE, DETROIT METAL CITY). Determined to resurrect friends who have died in battle, Kei Kurono (Ninomiya), Masaru Kato (Matsuyama) and other members trapped in the "in-between" world of GANTZ are aiming to score the 100 points needed to break through. An emergence of a mysterious investigator, however, complicates the situation further. The battle continues on as the two dimensions start to merge together. Some fight for love, and others fight for justice. At the end, who will

    Fifty-four high school girls commit a terrifying act in director Shion Sano`s SUICIDE CLUB, now available for the first time on DVD in the UK. Photo courtesy of Cine du Monde. © 2001 Omega Project /Biggubito /For Peace Co., Ltd. /Fyuzu /Kadokawa Pictures

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    New Label Presents Controversial Horror Favorite from Director Shion Sano Source: Cine du Monde Official Site: cinedumonde.co.uk/suicideclub (UK) Special Thanks to Andrew Kirkham Cine du Monde is a great new DVD/Blu-ray label launched in the United Kingdom. The company will focus on "Left-of-Centre Cinema", giving well-deserved attention to films that do not generally receive mainstream recognition. One of Cine du Monde`s first DVD releases is the uncut version of the controversial Japanese shocker SUICIDE CLUB (??????, Jisatsu Saakuru, 2002). Written and directed by the acclaimed filmmaker Shion Sano (LOVE EXPOSURE, COLD FISH), SUICIDE CLUB quickly became a favorite on the international film festivals, winning the Jury Prize for "Most Ground Breaking Film" at the 2003 Fantasia Film Festival. The cast features Ryo Ishibashi (AUDITION, THE GRUDGE), Masatoshi Nagase (PISTOL OPERA), Mai Hosho (MECHANICAL VIOLATOR HAKAIDER, ONMYOJI), Tamao Sato (OHRANGER), Takashi Nomura (BRANDED TO

    Suou Pavlichenko has the ability create a PTRD-41 rifle from the meteor fragment she wears around her neck. © Bones - Tensai Okamura/DTB Committee • MBS.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Set Features the Complete Season 2 Plus 4 OVAs Source: FUNimation Entertainment press release Official Site: d-black.net (Japan), funimation.com/darker-than-black (US) Special Thanks to Jackie Smith and Michelle Lee On October 18th, FUNimation Entertainment will release the DARKER THAN BLACK: GEMINI OF THE METEOR (DARKER THAN BLACK -?????[????]- Daakaa Zan Burakku -Ryuusei no Jemini-, 2009) Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack, containing all twelve episodes from season two of the sci-fi anime series DARKER THAN BLACK. The set also includes the four-part DARKER THAN BLACK GAIDEN (DARKER THAN BLACK ????? ??, Daakaa Zan Burakku Kuro no Keiyakusha: Gaiden, 2010) OVA that links seasons 1 and 2. DARKER THAN BLACK: GEMINI OF THE METEOR is produced by Studio Bones (FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, WOLF`S RAIN, COWBOY BEBOP, ESCAFLOWNE) and directed by Tensai Okamura (WOLF`S RAIN, COWBOY BEBOP: THE MOVIE, NARUTO: THE MOVIE). In the series, a new and deadly breed

    Cover art for the UK DVD release of the Korean horror movie DEATH BELL. © 2008 Core Contents Media

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Korean Horror Film Arrives October 10th Source: Third Windows Films Official Site: terracottadistribution.com/death-bell (UK) Terror Cotta, the new sub-label from Terracotta Distribution presents their first release, the Korean slasher-horror DEATH BELL (??: ?? ????, Gosa: Piui Junggangosa, 2008). Students at an elite high school, preparing for mid-term exams, are held captive and forced into a series of sadistic games. The students find themselves plunged into a deadly test where they are picked off one by one and held in impenetrable traps where they must rely on the amazing intellects of their classmates to be released, every time a question is answered incorrectly, a classmate meets their torturous, grizzly death. When it emerges that the students are being picked off according to a pattern, pupil Kang Yi-na understands exactly how much time she has to stay alive and figure out the mysteries of who is imprisoning them

    Korean student Cha Se-hui (Park Ji-Yeon) is trapped in school with a murderer in DEATH BELL: BLOODY CAMP. © 2010 Core Contents Media

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Korean Horror Film Arrives in October Source: Media Blasters, Inc. Special Thanks to Carl Morano On October 11th, Media Blasters will release the Korean horror film DEATH BELL: BLOODY CAMP (?? ? ?? ???: ????, Gosa Du Beonjjae Yiyagi: Gyosaengsilseop, 2010) on DVD through their Tokyo Shock label. The first DEATH BELL (??: ?? ????; RR: Gosa: Piui Junggangosa, 2008) was a surprise box office hit in Korea and was released in the United States by IFC Films. While not a direct sequel story-wise, DEATH BELL: BLOODY CAMP follows the original`s basic concept with a tale of students and teachers trapped in a school for another round of brutal, BATTLE ROYALE-style killing. The movie was directed by Yu Seon-Dong (NATURAL CITY, BLOODY REUNION) and stars Park Ji-Yeon (JUNGLE FISH 2), Hwang Jung-Eum (HIGH KICK! 2, WISH), Yoon Si-Yoon (HIGH KICK! 2), Park Eun-Bin

    Five SciFi Japan readers have won copies of the GAMERA TRILOGY Collector`s Edition, courtesy of Mill Creek, Cheap DVD Packs, and SFJ! Photo courtesy of Mill Creek Entertainment. © 2011 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Source: Mill Creek Entertainment, Cheap DVD Packs Special Thanks to Barrett Evans A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE Our thanks to everyone who entered Mill Creek Entertainment, Cheap DVD Packs, and SciFi Japan`s contest for the GAMERA TRILOGY Collector`s Edition Blu-ray set. We`ve received hundreds of entries, and the randomly chosen winners are: Marcus Scoggins Pete Quint Zen Faulkes Tyler Beasley Jeffrey Jennings Congratulations to the winners! Each of you has won a 2-disc Blu-ray collection of GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE (??? ???????, Gamera Daikaiju Kuchu Kessen, 1995), GAMERA 2: ATTACK OF THE LEGION (???2 ??????, Gamera 2: Region Shurai, 1996) and GAMERA 3: REVENGE OF IRIS (???3 ?????????, Gamera 3: Jyashin Iris Kakusei, 1999). The prizes will be sent by Mill Creek, and will take 48-72 hours to be processed and shipped out. The GAMERA TRILOGY is now available from stores and online retailers. The

    Photo courtesy of Section23 Films.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    GLASS MAIDEN COMPLETE COLLECTION Available on October 4th Source: Section23 Films press release Special Thanks to Mike Bailiff Home video distributor Section23 Films has provided details on its October slate of releases; including the exciting sci-fi meets private eye series, GLASS MAIDEN. The complete collection will be released on DVD by the exciting new anime label and Section23 client, Maiden Japan. Product details follow, in order of release... GLASS MAIDEN COMPLETE COLLECTION Published by: Maiden Japan Distributed by: Section23 Films Run Time: 300 min. Street Date: 10/4/2011 Format: DVD Language: Japanese with English Subtitles SRP: $49.98 Shu`s a detective, the brooding, enigmatic type with an eye for the ladies. Together with his kid brother Akira, and `the girls` Manami and Ayaka, he runs an investigative agency that takes on the odd case here and there. Okay, odder than usual, given that their main broker is a

    Cover art for POKÉMON - ZOROARK: MASTER OF ILLUSIONS. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © 2011 Pokémon. © 1997-2010 Nintendo, Creatures, GAME FREAK, TV Tokyo, ShoPro, JR Kikaku. © PIKACHU PROJECT 2010.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Official Site: VIZ.com/Pokemon Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Media, LLC, the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, will excite POKÉMON fans everywhere with the DVD release of the thirteenth full-length feature film from the venerable kids franchise, POKÉMON—ZOROARK: MASTER OF ILLUSIONS. The DVD, rated ‘A’ for All Ages, was released on September 20th under the company’s VIZ KIDS imprint and carries an MSRP of $19.97 U.S. / $19.98 CAN. The Pokémon Baccer World Cup. It is the most anticipated event of the year, and as hundreds flock to Crown City to watch the exciting competition unfold, Ash, Pikachu, and his friends encounter a mysterious new Pokémon they have never seen before. But when the three Legendary Pokémon Raikou, Entei, and Suicune suddenly arrive and begin rampaging through the streets, it’s up

    MODERN MAGIC MADE SIMPLE will be released on DVD in December.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Source: Sentai Filmworks press release Official Site: gendaimahou.com (Japan) Special Thanks to David Williams Sentai Filmworks hasn’t added a starter course in sorcery to their catalog, but they have added the thoroughly enchanting new series MODERN MAGIC MADE SIMPLE (?????????, Yoku Wakaru Gendai Mahoo, 2009) to their ever expanding line up of animated hits! Based on the hit manga written by Hiroshi Sakurazaka and illustrated by Miki Miyashita (Maburaho), the 12 episode series about a world where the task of casting a magic spell is the equivalent of writing computer code has been mystically crafted under the supervision of director Yasuhiro Kuroda (KAMPFER, AMAZING NURSE NANAKO) with Makoto Koga (ARIA, SOLA, BLUDGEONING ANGEL DOKURA-CHAN) adapting the character designs from Miyashita’s bewitching originals. Life hasn’t been fair to Koyomi Morishita. Even though she’s in High School, she’s so short that everyone assumes she’s still in grade school.

    Cover art for TRANSFORMERS PRIME - DARKNESS RISING. Photo courtesy of Shout! Factory. ©2011 Hasbro, Inc.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    5-Part Original Miniseries Hitting Home Entertainment Shelves Nationwide Source: Shout! Factory press release Special Thanks to Tom Chen “Megatron has not been seen nor heard from in some time, and if his return is imminent, it could be catastrophic.” -Optimus Prime The lure of the TRANSFORMERS saga starts a new chapter as all foes return, legendary heroes rise, and new ones are found in unlikely places. The new CGI animated series TRANSFORMERS PRIME which currently airs on The Hub television network and is a Hasbro Studios production, deepens the epic mythology of both the Autobots and Decepticons, while starting fresh for a new generation of fans. Arch rivals, the Autobots and the evil Decepticons led by Megatron, once again face-off in their rivalry for control of Earth in this new show. Celebrate the triumphant return of the Autobots through cutting-edge CGI animation with TRANSFORMERS PRIME –

    Dinosaurs rule the prehistoric Korean peninsula in TARBOSAURUS. The 3D Korean film has been picked up for a North American release. © 2011 CJ E&M Pictures

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Well Go USA Acquires North American Rights Source: Well Go USA Entertainment, CJ E&M Pictures The Korean movie production and distribution company CJ E&M has licensed the North American rights for the WWII tale MY WAY (?? ??, Mai Wei) and the 3D dinosaur film TARBOSAURUS (???????) to distributor Well Go USA Entertainment. Based on a true story, MY WAY is directed by Kang Je-kyu (TAEGUKGI: THE BROTHERHOOD OF WAR) and stars Jang Dong-Kun (TAEGUKGI, THE WARRIOR`S WAY), Joe Odagiri (SHINOBI, MUSHI-SHI), and Bingbing Fan (BODYGUARDS AND ASSASSINS, SHAOLIN). The film begins in Japan-colonized Korea during the 1930s, where Jun-shik (Jang) and Tatsuo (Odagiri) are rivals hoping to compete as marathon runners in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. But when war breaks out with the U.S.S.R. Jun-shik is forced to enlist in the army. Tatsuo is recruited to become the head of defense in

    The female ninja Kisaragi (Rina Takeda) battles slavers in THE KUNOICHI: NINJA GIRL. Photo courtesy of The Associates. © 2011 The Kunoichi Partners

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    From the Director of OF ALIEN VS. NINJA and the Star of KARATE GIRL Source: The Associates press release Official Movie Site: kunoichi-movie.com (Japan) From pioneering ninja movie writer-director Seiji Chiba (ALIEN VS. NINJA; ROGUE NINJA), 19-year-old karate sensation-turned-actress Rina Takeda (KARATE GIRL; HIGH-KICK GIRL) and stunt choreographer Kensuke Sonomura (THE WARRIOR`S WAY; ALIEN VS. NINJA; THE MACHINE GIRL) comes THE KUNOICHI: NINJA GIRL (??, Kunoichi, 2011), an ass-kicking blast of martial arts action. As the fierce rivalry between the Iga and Kouga ninja clans rages on, a pair of psychotic eunuch ninjas, Shimotsuki and Hyotsuki, are tasked with abducting young women from nearby Kouga villages and forcing them to serve as “tools of pleasure” to the lower-ranking members of their clan. While transporting their latest quartet of victims – including a feisty girl called Kisaragi (Rina Takeda) – through the woodlands back

    Iris and Gamera face off in a publicity shot for GAMERA 3: REVENGE OF IRIS. © 1999 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Get the Blu-ray Box Set for Free, Courtesy of Mill Creek, Cheap DVD Packs, and SciFi Japan! Source: Mill Creek Entertainment, Cheap DVD Packs Special Thanks to Barrett Evans A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE On September 27th, GAMERA 3: REVENGE OF IRIS and the GAMERA TRILOGY Collector`s Edition will be released on Blu-ray in North America by Mill Creek Entertainment. Now, Mill Creek and their friends over at Cheap DVD Packs are offering SciFi Japan readers an early chance to win the GAMERA TRILOGY Blu-ray set, free of charge! The GAMERA TRILOGY Collector`s Edition includes all three movies from the acclaimed 1990s Gamera series on two Blu-ray discs... GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE (??? ???????, Gamera Daikaiju Kuchu Kessen, 1995) GAMERA 2: ATTACK OF THE LEGION (???2 ??????, Gamera 2: Region Shurai, 1996) GAMERA 3: REVENGE OF IRIS (???3 ?????????, Gamera 3: Jyashin

    Apes rule a futuristic Japan in TIME OF THE APES, one of four fun movies from the upcoming DVD collection MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000: XXII. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Featuring TIME OF THE APES, MIGHTY JACK, THE VIOLENT YEARS, and THE BRUTE MAN Source: Shout! Factory press release Special Thanks to Tom Chen Our long cultural nightmare is over. On December 6, Shout! Factory, in association with Best Brains, Inc., will release MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000: XXII, a 4-DVD set that includes TIME OF THE APES, MIGHTY JACK, THE VIOLENT YEARS, THE BRUTE MAN and a cornucopia of extras worthy of the holiday season. All four episodes are previously unreleased on DVD, and TIME OF THE APES and MIGHTY JACK are two of the most beloved and most requested episodes of the comedy phenomenon! Disc 1 of MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000: XXII features TIME OF THE APES, which enjoys a mythical cult status among MSTies. Adapted (i.e., shredded and stitched into incoherence) from the 1974 Japanese series ARMY OF THE APES (????,

    A colony of vampires causes havoc on an uncharted Japanese island in HIGANJIMA: ESCAPE FROM VAMPIRE ISLAND. Photo courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment. © 2010 Suzuki Koji/ Kodansha,

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Japanese/Korean Horror Adventure Coming October 4th Source: FUNimation Entertainment Official Movie Site: Higanjima (Japan) Special Thanks to Jackie Smith and Michelle Lee FUNimation Entertainment will release the Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack of HIGANJIMA: ESCAPE FROM VAMPIRE ISLAND (???, Higanjima, 2010) on October 4th. Based on Koji Matsumoto`s manga, HIGANJIMA is a Japanese/Korean horror adventure from VOLCANO HIGH director Kim Tae-gyun and DEATH NOTE movie screenwriter Tetsuya Oishi. Akira Miyamoto (Hideo Ishiguro, GOKUSEN THE MOVIE) and his ragtag group of teenage friends enter a world of danger and action when they land on the shores of Higanjima, an uncharted island that`s overrun by vampires. After a beautiful young woman named Rei Aoyama (Asami Mizukawa, MONKEY MAGIC) tells him that his missing brother Atsushi (Dai Watanabe, PRIDE) is alive and might be somewhere on the island, Akira talks several of his friends into joining him on

    The anime feature TRIGUN: BADLANDS RUMBLE will be released on DVD and Blu-ray this September 27th. Photo courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment. © 2010 Yasuhiro Naito/ Trigun the Movie Production Committee

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Source: FUNimation Entertainment Official Movie Site: funimation.com/trigun (US), trigun-movie.com (Japan) Special Thanks to Jackie Smith and Michelle Lee TRIGUN: BADLANDS RUMBLE (????? The Movie ?????, 2010), the first full length Trigun movie, will be released on both DVD and Blu-ray in North America by FUNimation Entertainment. The movie is the first new Trigun animation in over a decade, and features a new story by series creator Yasuhiro Naito. In town surrounded by quicksand, an outlaw from Vash the Stampede`s past has resurfaced after twenty years. His name is Gasback - and he`s looking to cause a little trouble. It seems Gasback has a serious beef with the town`s mayor, who`s paying dozens of bounty hunters to protect his turf. One of those hired guns is a beautiful woman with a vendetta against Gasback. Will she get a shot at revenge? Maybe, if she

    Cover art for the upcoming UK DVD and Blu-ray editions of the Japanese live action sci-fi adventure GANTZ. Photos courtesy of The Associates. © Hiroya Oku/Shueisha © 2011 Gantz Film Partners

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Source: The Associates press release Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US) Already adapted as a hugely successful anime series, Hiroya Oku’s manga Gantz gets a stunning special effects-laden, live action makeover courtesy of director Shinsuke Sato (SAND CLOCK; ALL ABOUT MY DOG) and DEATH NOTE trilogy producer Takahiro Sato. A thrilling hybrid of horror, action and sci-fi that recalls the likes of MEN IN BLACK, GHOSTBUSTERS and BATTLE ROYALE, GANTZ (??, 2011) stars Kazunari Ninomiya (LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA), Kenichi Matsuyama (NORWEGIAN WOOD; KAMUI; the DEATH NOTE trilogy) and popular Japanese TV star Natsuna (DAIMAJIN KANON). Teenage high school student Kei Kurono (Ninomiya) is waiting for a subway train home when he recognizes an old childhood friend Masaru Kato (Matsuyama) on the same platform. Suddenly, a drunken commuter falls on the tracks just as the station’s speaker system announces the approach of

    Naomitsu Hatakeyama (Shun Oguri) is betrayed by his brother in TAJOMARU: AVENGING BLADE. Photo courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment. ©2009 Tajomaru Film Partners

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Source: FUNimation Entertainment Official Movie Site: warnerbros.co.jp/tajomaru (Japan) Special Thanks to Jackie Smith and Michelle Lee Loosely based on Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s short stories Rashomon and In A Grove (most famously adapted for the screen by Akira Kurosawa in his 1950 masterpiece RASHOMON), TAJOMARU: AVENGING BLADE (??????, Tajomaru, 2009) is directed by Hiroyuki Nakano (STEREO FUTURE) and stars Shun Oguri (SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO, CROWS ZERO), Kyosuke Yabe (SAMURAI ZOMBIE) and Hiroyuki Ikeuchi (IP MAN, SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO). On September 20th, the film comes to North America in a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack from distributor FUNimation Entertainment. In the days of feudal Japan bandits ruled the forests. Tajomaru was the king of criminals: his ruthless character terrorized villagers and royalty across the country. As the legend went, whoever killed the infamous thief inherited his name, his sword and his reputation... Naomitsu Hatakeyama (Shun Oguri) is a

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