SciFi Japan

    The Sasebo City Museum Shimase Art Center in Nagasaki is hosting an exhibition devoted to the legendary Toho production designer Yasuyuki Inoue. Photo courtesy of Toyomi Togo and Toshio Miike. TM＆©TOHO CO., LTD.

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    The Sasebo City Museum Shimase Art Center in Nagasaki is hosting an exhibition devoted to the legendary Toho production designer Yasuyuki Inoue. Photo courtesy of Toyomi Togo and Toshio Miike. TM＆©TOHO CO., LTD. Source: Oki Miyano Special Thanks to Toyomi Togo and Toshio Miike Yasuyuki Inoue. Through August 29th, the Sasebo City Museum Shimase Art Center in Nagasaki is hosting an exhibition devoted to the legendary Toho production designer Yasuyuki Inoue (1922-2012). The exhibit serves a runup to a bigger event to be held in at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo from March 19 to June 19, 2022, commemorating the 100th anniversary of Inoue's birth.  Yasuyuki Inoue was hired by Toho in 1954 to build the miniature sets for Godzilla’s stunning rampage thru Tokyo in the original GODZILLA (ゴジラ, Gojira, 1954). He would become the head of the studio's special arts department, leading

    Photo courtesy of MVD.

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    Source: MVD Entertainment Group Special Thanks to Clint Weiler Photo courtesy of MVD. MVD Entertainment is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win their new Collector's Edition Blu-ray of THE DARK (1979), a chilling tale of alien terror f rom director John "Bud" Cardos (KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS, MUTANT). A writer (William Devane, ROLLING THUNDER) takes a personal interest in a series of baffling, shocking murders in Los Angeles ... and evidence suggests the suspect may not be human. Every night "The Mangler" stalks the streets, attacking and mutilating random victims. On the creature's trail is TV reporter Zoe Owens (Cathy Lee Crosby, COACH) and police detective Dave Mooney (Richard Jaeckel, THE DIRTY DOZEN), but the truth behind the murders is far more strange and horrifying than they could ever imagine in this cult classic featuring Keenan Wynn (DR. STRANGELOVE), Casey Kasem (radio legend and "American

    Photo courtesy of Arrow Films. © KADOKAWA

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      Photo courtesy of Arrow Films. © KADOKAWA Source: Arrow Video US, MVD Entertainment Group Special Thanks to Clint Weiler Photo courtesy of Arrow Films. © KADOKAWA Arrow Video US and MVD Entertainment are offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win their new Blu-ray of Daiei's BLIND BEAST (盲獣, Mōjū, 1969), a grotesque portrait of the bizarre relationship between a blind sculptor and his captive muse, adapted from a short story from Japan's foremost master of the macabre, Edogawa Rampo (Horrors of Malformed Men, The Black Lizard, Caterpillar). An artist's model, Aki (Mako Midori), is abducted, and awakens in a dark warehouse studio whose walls are decorated with outsized women's body parts - eyes, lips, legs and breasts - and dominated by two recumbent giant statues of male and female nudes. Her kidnapper introduces himself as Michio (Eiji Funakoshi), a blind sculptor whom she

    Photo courtesy of MVD.

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    Source: MVD Entertainment Group Special Thanks to Clint Weiler Photo courtesy of MVD. Unearthed Films and MVD Entertainment are offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win their new Blu-ray of the Japanese horror classic EVIL DEAD TRAP ( 死霊の罠, Shiryō no wana, 1988). Directed by Toshiharu Ikeda (MERMAID LEGEND) and originally produced by Japan Home Video, the movie features special effects created by Shinichi Wakasa, monster-suit maker for several Godzilla, Gamera and Ultraman films. A TV station employee takes a camera crew out to an abandoned factory to investigate a purported snuff film that was made there, only to end up running for her life. Nami hosts a late night home video program. She receives a tape which appears to be a real snuff film. She and her crew investigate the location where she meets a man looking for his brother who warns her to

    Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.

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    Photo courtesy of Well Go USA. Source: Well Go USA, ddPR Special Thanks to Leif Helland Photo courtesy of Well Go USA. Well Go USA Entertainment is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win a Blu-ray of the acomedy-drama MIDNIGHT DINER (深夜食堂,  Shēnyè shítáng, 2019). Based on the celebrated manga series Shin’ya Shokudo  by Yaro Abe and previously adapted into the critically-acclaimed TV series in Japan, Korea and China, the cinematic version of MIDNIGHT DINER is set in a little restaurant in an inconspicuous lane of Shanghai, Tony Leung Ka-Fai (ONCE UPON A TIME IN HONG KONG) makes his directorial debut and plays the leading role of a man who makes a set of special food for each guest who visits the restaurant and listens everyone's story.  MIDNIGHT DINER also stars Deng Chao (SHADOW), Eddie Peng (OPERATION MEKONG), and Vision Wei (LOST IN WHITE).

    Photo courtesy of Mill Creek. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS

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    Source: Mill Creek Entertainment Special Thanks to JW Starrett Photo courtesy of Mill Creek. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS Mill Creek Entertainment is offering our readers a chance to win their new Blu-ray set of Tsuburaya Productions’ GRIDMAN - THE HYPER AGENT (電光超人グリッドマン, Denkō Chōjin Guriddoman,  1993-94) The Complete Series. The set contains stunning high definition video for all 39 half-hour episodes with DTS-HD Master Audio of the original Japanese soundtrack plus newly translated English subtitles. In the series, three computer-savvy kids, Naoto, Yuka and Ippei created their own videogame superhero, but then discover it possessed by an inter-dimensional police officer, Gridman. Pursuing an evil program called Kahn Digifer, he merges with Naoto and fights Kahn Digifer's digitized monsters in order to prevent the computerized demon from wreaking havoc on the Human World. GRIDMAN - THE HYPER AGENT Complete Series will arrive August 17 on Blu-ray (SRP: $40.99).

    Photo courtesy of MVD.

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    Source: Arrow Video US, MVD Entertainment Group Special Thanks to Clint Weiler Photo courtesy of MVD. VCI and MVD Entertainment are offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win their new Blu-ray of CHARIOTS OF THE GODS: 50th Anniversary, presenting the iconic documentaryin a new 2K restoration from the original 35mm negative. Based on Erich Von Daniken's book purporting to prove that throughout history aliens have visited earth. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has included CHARIOTS OF THE GODS in their list of the Top 100 Documentary Films of All Time. "Fifty million stars in our galaxy have the potential of supporting life forms capable of traveling to other planets," says world-renowned authority Erich von Daniken, whose film version of his best- selling book, Chariots Of The Gods, gives stunning visual proof that some form of life from outer space landed on Earth

    KNIGHTS OF SIDONIA: LOVE WOVEN IN THE STARS key art, courtesy of Funimation. ©TSUTOMU NIHEI, KODANSHA/KOS FILM PARTNERS

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    Funimation Releasing KNIGHTS OF SIDONIA: LOVE WOVEN IN THE STARS Film in Theaters in the U.S. and Canada starting September 13 Source: Funimation press release Special Thanks to Jennifer St Clair and Brian Eley KNIGHTS OF SIDONIA: LOVE WOVEN IN THE STARS key art, courtesy of Funimation. ©TSUTOMU NIHEI, KODANSHA/KOS FILM PARTNERS In a sweeping new story based on the manga by Tsutomu Nihei, Earth is destroyed and humankind lives on a massive spaceship called Sidonia to defend themselves  from hostile aliens. Welcome to KNIGHTS OF SIDONIA, the epic adventure tale set a thousand years in the future where the fate of humans rests in the hands of a brave few. Funimation, the market leader in anime serving fans worldwide, brings the popular sci-fi anime KNIGHTS OF SIDONIA to theaters and television. Funimation announced today it has partnered with Polygon Pictures for the film release

    Photo courtesy of SPJA. © Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation 2021. All rights reserved.

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    Photo courtesy of SPJA. © Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation 2021. All rights reserved. Anime Expo Lite 2021 Draws Over 375,000 Views and Raises $77,000 for CharitySource: SPJA, MediaLab Public Relations press release Official Site: www.anime-expo.org Special Thanks to Erik Jansen The nation’s largest anime fan convention marked its 30th anniversary earlier this month with Anime Expo Lite. Held online again due to the continuing effects of the COVID pandemic, this year’s Anime Expo Lite garnered over 375,000 views from fans in more than 100 countries such as the UK, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and Malaysia. Fans tuned into watch the livestream event on July 3 & 4 as well as during the VOD period from July 5 through 16. Program highlights included the STAR WARS: VISIONS Sneak Peek, the SHIKIZAKURA world premiere, and the LisAni!LIVE L.A. concert

    Photo courtesy of Japan Society NY.

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    Photo courtesy of Japan Society NY. North America’s largest festival of contemporary Japanese cinema presents a dynamic slate of 38 films streaming online throughout the U.S. and screening in-person at Japan Society in NYC, introduces New York Premiere of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s WIFE OF A SPY and offers annual CUT ABOVE Award to star Yu AoiSource: Japan Society NY press releaseOfficial Site: JAPAN CUTS 2021: Festival of New Japanese FilmSpecial Thanks to Allison Rodman ​Japan Society announces the full lineup for the 15th annual JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film​, the largest festival of its kind in North America, set for August 20-September 2 as a hybrid online and in-person event.  Continuing its annual mission of showcasing a diverse slate of the best and most exciting films coming out of Japan today, the summer festival will introduce a total of 27 features​ and 12 short films​ including

    Takashi Miike is back with the sequel, THE GREAT YOKAI WAR -GUARDIANS-. Photo courtesy of Kadokawa Pictures. ©2021 The Great Yokai Wars Film Partners

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    Lee Won-tae’s THE DEVIL’S DEAL, Paul Andrew Williams’ BULL, Vincent Grashaw’s WHAT JOSIAH SAW, Masashi Ando and Masayuki Miyaji’s THE DEER KING, Rob Jabbaz’s THE SADNESS, and Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury’s THE DEEP HOUSE are among the wealth of final titles announced  Source: Fantasia press release Special Thanks to Kaila Hier, Pierre Corbeil and Andre Dubois The Fantasia International Film Festival announces a massive new assortment of feature films for its 25th edition, along with details on scheduled panels, talks, tributes, special events, and our esteemed juries. On top of our impressive virtual slate of films, all geo-locked to Canada, and in addition to our globally accessible streamed events, the upcoming festival will also feature a limited number of in-person screenings in Montreal.  Fantasia begins August 5th with the World Premiere of Quebec zombie feature BRAIN FREEZE— following the August 4th special event screening

    Photo courtesy of Mondo. TM＆©TOHO CO., LTD.

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    All GODZILLA items on sale at https://mondoshop.com/pages/comic-con on Saturday, 7/24 @ 1PM CT Source: Mondo Special Thanks to Brad Johnson After announcing their soft vinyl category last year, the Mondo Toys and Collectibles department is proud to present their first ever Godzilla and Hedorah soft vinyl figures. Designed and sculpted by Toys and Collectibles Creative Director Hector Arce, these two figures were truly a labor of love. The limited edition SDCC At Home color variants come in an awesome Cherry Blossom colorway and glow in the dark! Each of these figures are hand painted and made of soft vinyl and limited to only 150 units each. The Mondo’s San Diego Comic Con exclusive editions will be available for pre-order on MondoShop.com on Saturday July 24th, at 11am PT/ 2pm ET. “Having the opportunity to work on these two figures is a dream come true for me. Especially working

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    Source: Sentai press release Official Site: athome.sentai.com Today Sentai revealed the event and exclusive guest lineup for Sentai at Home 2021, Sentai’s digital panel experience for anime fans around the world. Anime enthusiasts can catch Sentai at Home 2021 on Wednesday, August 20, 2021 at 2 PM CDT and should visit athome.sentai.com to learn more about this free event. To bring the joy of anime to fans at home, Sentai will treat viewers to a lineup of exclusive interviews with an array of Japanese talent, including cast members from NON NON BIYORI, REDO OF HEALER, GETTER ROBO ARC, PRINCESS PRINCIPAL, MOTHER OF THE GODDESS’ DORMITORY and other Sentai favorites. Fans can also look forward to interviews with anime directors Morio Asaka (NANA), Masayuki Kojima (MADE IN ABYSS), Jun Kawagoe (GETTER ROBO ARC), Takuya Asaoka (REDO OF HEALER), Shinya Kawatsura (NON NON BIYORI) and Masaki Tachibana (PRINCESS PRINCIPAL),

    Photo courtesy of Arrow Films. © KADOKAWA

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    Photo courtesy of Arrow Films. © KADOKAWA Source: Arrow Video US, MVD Entertainment Group Special Thanks to Clint Weiler Photo courtesy of Arrow Films. © KADOKAWA   Arrow Video US and MVD Entertainment are offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win their new THE DAIMAJIN TRILOGY Limited Edition Blu-ray Set. The collection includes all three Daiei giant monster movies that transplants the Golem legend to Japan’s Warring States period of the late-16th century. In DAIMAJIN (大魔神), directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda (YOKAI MONSTERS, ZATOICHI ON THE ROAD), the young son and daughter of the benevolent feudal lord Hanabusa flee to the mountains when their parents are slain by the treacherous usurper Odate. Ten years later, when the elderly priestess who has harboured them is also murdered, the rage of the slumbering ancient god that lies beneath the crumbling giant stone idol hidden deep

    Mockup of the Tamashii Nations Pop-Up Shop coming to Santa Monica this Friday. Image courtesy of BANDAI NAMCO Collectibles. ©BANDAI

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    Mockup of the Tamashii Nations Pop-Up Shop coming to Santa Monica this Friday. Image courtesy of BANDAI NAMCO Collectibles. ©BANDAI Santa Monica Store Will Be Open from July 16 – September 26 and Showcase an Array of Toys,  Action Figures and Model Kits Featuring Characters from Demon Slayer, Dragon Ball, Gundam and More< Source: BANDAI NAMCO Collectibles (Bluefin) press release Official Site: tamashiinations.com/popup/santamonica Special Thanks to Scott Barretto Collectors in Southern California are in for a special treat with today’s announcement from BANDAI NAMCO Collectibles (Bluefin) and BANDAI SPIRITS Collectors Department that they are travelling west to open a new official pop-up, the “TAMASHII NATIONS Pop-Up Shop in Santa Monica,” this Friday, July 16. Fans in Los Angeles and Orange counties as well as across surrounding areas are invited  to head to Santa Monica and visit the new store. The shop (will not only feature some of

    Photo courtesy of Mill Creek. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS

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    Photo courtesy of Mill Creek. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS  Source: Mill Creek Entertainment  Mill Creek has announced a new contest for Ultraman fans!  Enter now to win a ticket to the  ultimate ULTRAMAN DAY experience: ULTRAMAN CONNECTION LIVE! The 4-hour livestream event will be held this Saturday, July 10 starting 8:00pm EDT at ultramanconnection.com . Enter to win your ticker at https://forms.office.com . 300 winners randomly selected and notified by email with the link. The contest ends July 9, 2021 at 11:59PM PST. Photo courtesy of Mill Creek. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS Mill Creek is also offering a special deal on  SECRETS OF THE RISE OF ULTRAMAN Collection, their new Blu-ray set exclusively sold on DeepDiscount.com that contains  9 episodes of the original ULTRAMAN series featuring English dubs, collectible artwork, and a bonus feature from Marvel Comics and Starlight Runner Productions.  Use the Promo Code SPACIUMBEAM and

    Photo courtesy of Well Go USA. ©2019 HYDRA FILM PARTNERS

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    Photo courtesy of Well Go USA. ©2019 HYDRA FILM PARTNERS Source: Well Go USA, ddPR Special Thanks to Leif Helland Photo courtesy of Well Go USA. ©2019 HYDRA FILM PARTNERS Well Go USA Entertainment is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win a Blu-ray of the action-packed Japanese martial arts extravaganza HYDRA (ヒドラ, Hidora, 2021). Directed by Kensuke Sonomura (action director from the RESIDENT EVIL games, VENDETTA & DEGENERATION) and starring Masanori Mimoto (ENTER THE FAT DRAGON, DEATH NOTE), HYDRA co-stars newcomer Miu and Tasuku Nagase (IWANE: SWORD OF SERENITY).  After retiring as an assassin, Takashi (Masanori Mimoto) leads a quiet life as a chef at a sushi bar, where he secretly watches over the daughter of a former associate. His peace is short-lived: soon, he is recruited for a final job that he simply can’t refuse. HYDRA debuts on Digital, Blu-ray (SLP: $19.98)

    Celebrate Ultraman Day with amarathon of selected episodes. Photo courtesy of Shout! Factory. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS

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    Celebrate Ultraman Day with amarathon of selected episodes. Photo courtesy of Shout! Factory. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS FULL-DAY MARATHON WILL CULMINATE IN U.S. PREMIERE OF ULTRAMAN ZERO: THE REVENGE OF BELIAL Source: Shout! Factory press releaseSpecial Thanks to Shannon Meehan In celebration of the 55th anniversary of the landmark series ULTRAMAN, Shout! Factory TV and its premier Tokusatsu channel TokuSHOUTsu will proudly present a full-day streaming event entitled Ultraman Day: Ultrathon on Saturday, July 10. The marathon – featuring 19 episodes that span 55 years of the Ultraman series – culminates in the U.S. streaming premiere of ULTRAMAN ZERO: THE REVENGE OF BELIAL. The Ultrathon will stream across all Shout! Factory TV and TokuSHOUTsu platforms and feature one-of-a-kind fan engagement, including exclusive giveaways of top toys from Bluefin Brands and promotional support from Marvel Entertainment, Factory Entertainment, VIZ Media and RightStufAnime.com. As part of an all-day adventure of

    Photo courtesy of Anime Expo. ©2021 Child of Kamiari Month Movie Production

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    Famed anime producer Michihiko Suwa joins writer Toshinari Shinohe and producer Uko Oshia to offer insights on new film exploring Japanese mythology Source: SPJA, MediaLab Public Relations press release Official Site: www.anime-expo.org Special Thanks to Erik Jansen   Photo courtesy of Anime Expo. ©2021 Child of Kamiari Month Movie Production Anime Expo Lite proudly presents a special first look at the upcoming anime feature film, CHILD OF KAMIARI MONTH (神在月のこども, Kamiari no Kodomo, 2021), as part of this year’s two-day, livestream convention running Saturday, July 3rd th through Sunday, July 4. Join the prolific anime producer, Michihiko Suwa (DETECTIVE CONAN, CITY HUNTER, INUYASHA, MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH), as he shares insights about CHILD OF KAMIARI MONTH. Based on Japanese mythology, the feature film explores the root of the nation’s history and explores what it means to follow destiny. Suwa will be joined by writer Toshinari Shinohe and fellow producer,

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