SciFi Japan

    Photo courtesy of Film Movement. © Toei.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Photo courtesy of Film Movement. © Toei. Source: Film Movement press releaseOfficial Site: https://www.filmmovement.com/warm-water-under-a-red-bridgeSpecial Thanks to Michael Krause Produced during the heyday of ninkyo eiga (chivalrous yakuza films), the seminal Red Peony Gambler series has had a lasting influence on cult cinema. The illustrious Junko Fuji stars as the beautiful and badass Oryu, the eponymous and benevolent female gambler who uses her incredible might for right. This November, Film Movement delivers the celebrated trio of Japanese action classics newly restored from original film elements.   Photo courtesy of Film Movement. © Toei RED PEONY GAMBLER (牡丹博徒, Hibotan Bakuto) Wandering female gambler Oryu the Red Peony (Junko Fuji), so known for the tattoo on her shoulder, rambles into town searching for her father’s killer with a wallet left at the crime scene as her only clue. At a card game she meets

    Photo courtesy of Sentai.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Source: Sentai press release Sentai Home Video has announced its January 2025 slate of anime Blu-ray releases. Product details follow, in order of release...   Photo courtesy of Sentai. BASTARD!! HEAVY METAL, DARK FANTASY Published by:    Sentai Distributed by:   Distribution SolutionsRun Time:         600 min.Street Date:      1/21/2025Format:             BDLanguage:        English Dub, Japanese with English SubtitlesSRP:                 $89.98 Fifteen years ago, the wizard Dark Schneider led the armies of the Divine Kings in a ruthless bid to conquer the world. Ultimately, Schneider failed and was sealed away into the body of a newborn, but his generals escaped and now the Kings are back with a new plan: unleashing a God of Destruction! Barring their way, however, is the kingdom of Metallicana, where the Great Priest’s daughter will unleash a surprise weapon of her own: Dark Schneider reborn! Can Yoko control her resurrected ally, or will

    Photo courtesy of Crunchyroll. ©Toei Animation. All Rights Reserved

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    All 13 Episodes of Toei Animation's Most Recent Original Series Will Be Released in a Batch on November 6, 2024Source: Crunchyroll press release Photo courtesy of Crunchyroll. ©Toei Animation. All Rights Reserved Crunchyroll is rockin’ out to today’s announcement of the acquisition of GIRLS BAND CRY (ガールズバンドクライ,  Gāruzu Bando Kurai), an original anime from Toei Animation, set to premiere on Tuesday, November 6, 2024. All 13 episodes will be available at once, offering fans the complete story in a single drop. The series will be available with subtitles in 9 languages and streamed across English-speaking territories, LATAM, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent.   GIRLS BAND CRY Synopsis Feeling out of place in the countryside, high school dropout Nina Iseri moves to Tokyo. After a rough first day and getting locked out of her apartment, she meets her favorite guitarist, Momoka Kawaragi.

    Photos courtesy of Toho and Anime Limited. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Photos courtesy of Toho and Anime Limited. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD.   Source: Toho, Anime Limited press releases Special Thanks to Josh Stevens (Fetch Publicity)   The latest film in Toho’s classic series, GODZILLA MINUS ONE (ゴジラ-1.0, ゴジラマイナスワン, Gojira Mainasu Wan, 2023) was crafted to be the most terrifying incarnation of the character yet, returning the franchise to its post-war roots with a powerful and poignant story about a Japan gripped by the helplessness of having already lost everything before this new, monstrous threat emerges. The film became a sensation across the world, culminating in GODZILLA MINUS ONE winning Best Visual Effects at the 96th Academy Awards, becoming the first non-English language film to win the award. GODZILLA MINUS ONE will receive a wide release on home video in the US and Canada in November, and the United Kingdom in December. Read on

    Photo courtesy of Arrow Video. © ArtPort Inc.・Daiei Films/ Junji Ito

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Photo courtesy of Arrow Video. © ArtPort Inc.・Daiei Films/ Junji Ito Source: Arrow Video, MVD Entertainment Special Thanks to Derek Stubinski Photo courtesy of Arrow Video. © ArtPort Inc.・Daiei Films/ Junji Ito Arrow Video’s November slate features a limited edition Blu-ray of the 1998 J-Horror hit TOMIE (富江). Based on the smash-hit series of the same name by cult manga artist Junji Itō (Uzumaki), TOMIE tells the tale of an evil high-school seductress identifiable by a beauty mark beneath her left eye, whose bewitching kiss drives men to madness. Photography student Tsukiko (Mami Nakamura, TOKYO TRASH BABY, LOVE EXPOSURE) is plagued by violent dreams as she struggles to recall long-suppressed memories following a teenage trauma with the help of psychiatrist Dr. Hosono (Yoriko Douguchi, CURE, CHARISMA). Meanwhile, as Detective Harada (Tomorō Taguchi, TETSUO: THE IRON MAN) leads an investigation into a missing high-school

    Photo courtesy of TOKYOPOP. ©Yone Sawata/SHUEISHA, Acro Trip project

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Photo courtesy of TOKYOPOP. ©Yone Sawata/SHUEISHA, Acro Trip project Photo courtesy of TOKYOPOP. ©Kami Erabi Production Committee. Fuji TV's KAMI.APP Season 2 and Happinet Phantom Studios' ACRO TRIP will stream as simulcasts on ShahidSource: TOKYOPOP press release Special Thanks to Erik Jansen (MediaLab) MBC Group and Tokyopop have announced their investment in two new anime productions, ACRO TRIP and Season 2 of KAMI.APP . The shows are slated for release in Japan and the Middle East this month.  They will stream as simulcasts on Shahid this month. Comedic action-adventure series ACRO TRIP is directed by Ayumu Kotake, known for his work on GOLDEN KAMUY: Season Three, with character designs by Kei Umabiki. Based on the Shueisha manga by Yone Sawata, the series brings a mix of lighthearted fun and exciting battles, making it a must-watch for fans of the genre. All episodes of Season One are scheduled to stream this year, with a passionate fan

    Front and back packaging artwork for the ULTRAMAN BLAZAR: The Complete Series & ULTRAMAN BLAZAR THE MOVIE: TOKYO KAIJU SHOWDOWN Blu-ray set. Photo courtesy of Mill Creek. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS. Series: ©ULTRAMAN BLAZAR PRODUCTION CONSORTIUM・TV TOKYO Movie: ©ULTRAMAN BLAZAR FILM PARTNERS. All Rights Reserved.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Front and back packaging artwork for the ULTRAMAN BLAZAR: The Complete Series & ULTRAMAN BLAZAR THE MOVIE: TOKYO KAIJU SHOWDOWN Blu-ray set. Photo courtesy of Mill Creek. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS. Series: ©ULTRAMAN BLAZAR PRODUCTION CONSORTIUM・TV TOKYO Movie: ©ULTRAMAN BLAZAR FILM PARTNERS. All Rights Reserved. Source: Mill Creek Entertainment Special Thanks to CJ Johnsen and Spencer Kopp Mill Creek Entertainment, a division of Alliance Entertainment, will release ULTRAMAN BLAZAR: The Complete Series and ULTRAMAN BLAZAR THE MOVIE: TOKYO KAIJU SHOWDOWN on Blu-ray and Digital November 26, 2024. This set will include both the original Japanese audio and the English dub. This release comes from Mill Creek Entertainment’s recently announced extension and expansion of its current partnership with Tsuburaya Fields Media & Pictures Entertainment, Inc. The deal includes digital and physical rights for a full slate of episodic series and feature films from the international powerhouse brand, ULTRAMAN, including

    Image courtesy of Crunchyroll.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Image courtesy of Crunchyroll. Titles Highlighted Include ZENSHU, OKITSURA, Dr. STONE SCIENCE FUTURE, and More!Source: Crunchyroll press release This Friday, Crunchyroll held its Industry Panel at New York Comic Con at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. Crunchyroll announced several titles coming soon to its streaming service around the world. Those titles included the following:   Image courtesy of Crunchyroll. Based on the manga The Dialect of the Girl I Fell in Love With in Okinawa is Too Difficult to Deal With created by Egumi Sora, the coming-of-age slice of romance anime, OKITSURA: FELL IN LOVE WITH AN OKINAWAN GIRL, BUT I JUST WISH I KNOW WHAT SHE'S SAYING, is set to stream on Crunchyroll this January 2025. The latest trailer for the upcoming anime series was shown at NYCC. The series is written and directed by Shin Itagaki (SO I'M A SPIDER, SO WHAT?) and Shingo Tanabe (I GOT A

    Image courtesy of Crunchyroll.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Image courtesy of Crunchyroll. Additional Blu-ray Titles Arriving from Crunchyroll this January Include THE WRONG WAY TO USE HEALING MAGIC and DEAD MOUNT DEATH PLAY Part 2, Among OthersSource: Crunchyroll press release Crunchyroll has the best remedy to ring in the New Year with THE APOTHECARY DIARIES Season 1 Part 1, arriving on Blu-ray on January 28, 2025. Fans excited for the release can expect an elixir of special features including 12 mini-episodes featuring Maomao and Jinshi that have never officially been subtitled until now. Those looking to warm up their hearts from cold this winter can also look forward to the Crunchyroll Anime Awards winner for Best Romance Anime, HORIMIYA: THE MISSING PIECES, with a Blu-ray and DVD combo set on January 21, 2025. This collection of episodic stories completes the romantic tale between Kyouko Hori and Izumi Miyamura and will be packaged together with

    YOJIMBO. Photo courtesy of the Criterion Collection. TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

      YOJIMBO. Photo courtesy of the Criterion Collection. TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD. Source: The Criterion Collection press release Special Thanks to Courtney Ott Photo courtesy of the Criterion Collection. TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD. The Criterion Collection has announced that YOJIMBO / SANJURO: TWO SAMURAI FILMS BY AKIRA KUROSAWA will be released January 7, 2025 in a 4-disc 4K UHD + Blu-ray set. 2-disc Blu-ray edition is also available for purchase. Thanks to perhaps the most indelible character in Akira Kurosawa’s oeuvre, YOJIMBO (用心棒, Yōjinbō) surpassed even SEVEN SAMURAI in popularity when it was released. The masterless samurai Sanjuro, who slyly manipulates two warring clans to his own advantage in a small, dusty village, was so entertainingly embodied by the brilliant Toshiro Mifune that it was only a matter of time before he returned in a sequel. Made just one year later, SANJURO (椿三十郎, Tsubaki

    Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.  Source: Well Go USA, LBHpr  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 British horror-thriller THE BEAST WITHIN. The narrative directorial debut by documentary filmmaker Alexander J. Farrell (REFUGEE), and a cast including Kit Harington (GAME OF THRONES, ETERNALS), Ashleigh Cummings (THE GOLDFINCH, CITADEL), Caoilinn Springall (STOPMOTION, THE MIDNIGHT SKY), and James Cosmo (BRAVEHEART, GAME OF THRONES)​, bring a “timelessness” (Variety) to this atmospheric, supernatural tale--shot mostly around the historic Harewood Woods and Castle in West Yorkshire, UK. After a series of strange events leads her to question her family’s isolated life on a fortified compound deep in the English wilds, 10-year-old Willow (Caoilinn Springall) follows her parents on one of their secret late-night treks to the

    The main cast of HOSHI 35. From left to right: Megumi Odaka, Jun Hashizume, Daijiro Harada, Hiroshi Miyasaka and Yumiko Tanaka. Photos courtesy of 3Y Film. © 2023 3Y

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    The main cast of HOSHI 35. From left to right: Megumi Odaka, Jun Hashizume, Daijiro Harada, Hiroshi Miyasaka and Yumiko Tanaka. Photos courtesy of 3Y Film. © 2023 3Y Source: SRS Cinema LLCSpecial Thanks to Avery Guerra A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE Photo courtesy of SRS Cinema. © 2023 3Y Aki lived her young life with a baby monster, but got separated from it for some reason. Thirty-five years later, a big earthquake hits her home. As the shaking grows stronger, a giant monster emerges… no longer a baby kaiju, the creature has grown… SRS Cinema LLC has acquired North American rights to the new kaiju film, HOSHI 35 (星35, 2023). Written and directed by Hiroto Yokokawa (THE GREAT BUDDHA ARRIVAL, NEZURA 1964), and co-directed by Kazuma Yoneyama and Daisuke Sato, with effects by Sato, the movie uses traditional Japanese FX techniques (aka tokusatsu)

    Image courtesy of AnimEigo. Parts I & II © AIC, Part III © AIC / Flying Dog

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Source: AnimEigo press release Special Thanks to Erik Jansen (MediaLab) Image courtesy of AnimEigo. Parts I & II © AIC, Part III © AIC / Flying Dog Anime distributor AnimEigo announces the upcoming home media Blu-ray release of the MEGAZONE 23 OVA (メガゾーン23, Megazōn Tsū Surī) on November 12th. Making its debut in 1985, MEGAZONe 23 ignited the Japanese Original Video Animation (OVA) boom. It proved there was a market for direct-to-video anime films and paved the way for anime to become not just a niche genre, but a world-wide phenomenon. It was soon joined by a visually mind-blowing sequel, and a 2-part spinoff that takes place centuries later. The new release from AnimEigo compiles the complete MEGAZONE 23 trilogy along with an array of bonus features that includes the original ADV Films commentary track, ADV Films English dub tracks for all 3 parts

    Image courtesy of MVD Entertainment. ©Team Better Tomorrow

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Source: MVD Entertainment press releasee Special Thanks to Derek Stubinski Image courtesy of MVD Entertainment. ©Team Better Tomorrow Yoshikazu Ishii’s kaiju movie YUZO: THE BIGGEST BATTLE IN TOKYO (『特撮喜劇　大木勇造　人生最大の決戦』, Tokusatsu Kigeki Ōki Yūzō Jinsei Saidai no Kessen, 2022) is now available on DVD in North America from SRS Cinema. Ishii was an apprentice of the late Toho FX director Koichi Kawakita, and served as a special effects assistant director on GODZILLA: FINAL WARS,  NEGOTIATOR: MASHITA MASAYOSHI, DAIMAJIN KANON, and ULTRAMAN MEBIUS. He has directed  episodes of ULTRAMAN GINGA and ULTRAMAN GINGA S. SRS builds upon a successful relationship with Ishii following their release of his prior production, ATTACK OF THE GIANT TEACHER (アタック・オブ・ザ・ジャイアントティーチャー, Atakku Obu Za Jaianto Tīchā). Yuzo Ooki is unexpectedly fired. Managing to find a new job, Yuzo navigates the maze of crazy coworkers. Yuzo is undaunted, but he is bullied by his new workmates and

    Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.  Source: Well Go USA, LBHpr  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 award-winner horror-thriller EXHUMA (파묘, 2024). Written and Directed by Jang Jae-Hyun (SVAHA: THE SIXTH FINGER), EXHUMA stars CHOI Min-Sik (OLDBOY, I SAW THE DEVIL), KIM Go-Eun (HERO, LITTLE WOMEN), YOO Hai-Jin (A TAXI DRIVER), and LEE Do-Hyun (PRISON PLAYBOOK, SWEET HOME). After tracing a strange ailment to a remote gravesite, a team of supernatural experts soon discovers what happens when you mess with the wrong grave. EXHUMA will be released on 4K Ultra HD (SLP: $34.98), Blu-ray (SLP: $29.98) and DVD (SLP: $24.98) October 8 from Well Go USA Entertainment. The film has a runtime of 135 minutes and is not rated. The release includes

    Image courtesy of AnimEigo. ©AIC・Toshiba EMI

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Source: AnimEigo press release Special Thanks to Erik Jansen (MediaLab) Image courtesy of AnimEigo. ©AIC・Toshiba EMI Anime distributor AnimEigo delivers the sequel to the action-packed anime classic, BUBBLEGUN CRISIS, as it announces the Blu-ray home media release of BUBBLEGUM CRASH (バブルガムクラッシュ!, Baburugamu Kurasshu!) on January 21, 2025. BUBBLEGUM CRASH is a 1991 OVA anime produced by Artmic and Artland that followed the beloved 1987 series, BUBBLEGUM CRISIS, taking place a year after the original story. The new release contains all 3 episodes - ILLEGAL ARMY, GEO-CLIMBERS and MELT DOWN. It features a full restoration of Episode 2 (GEO-CLIMBERS), along with new HD upscales of Episodes 1 and 3, and comes packaged with a newly designed slipcover exclusively available for purchases from the MediaOCD webstore at https://www.mediaocd.com/product-page/bubblegum-crash-blu-ray.   Synopsis Times are changing in MegaTokyo. Boomers are no longer seen as a scourge, but rather, the city's saviors - heralds

    Photo courtesy of Sentai.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Source: Sentai press release Sentai Home Video has announced its December 2024 slate of anime Blu-ray releases. Product details follow, in order of release...   Photo courtesy of Sentai. GUSHING OVER MAGICAL GIRLS Published by:    Sentai Distributed by:   Distribution SolutionsRun Time:         325 min.Street Date:      12/3/2024Format:             BDLanguage:        Japanese with English SubtitlesSRP:                 $59.98 Utena was obsessed with her city's Magical Girls, so when she was offered the chance to become a MG herself, she agreed without reading the fine print and now she's an EVIL magical girl in a scandalously brief costume, who has to fight her beloved heroines! And even more embarrassing? It seems Utena's MG obsession was nowhere near as innocent as she'd believed, and her relationships with Magical Girls take on a very twisted turn once her inner kinks are set free and she can TOUCH them! It's

    Photo courtesy of Eureka Entertainment and MVD Entertainment.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Photo courtesy of Eureka Entertainment and MVD Entertainment. Source: MVD Entertainment press release Special Thanks to Derek Stubinski Photo courtesy of Eureka Entertainment and MVD Entertainment. Eureka Entertainment announces the release of THE SWORD (名劍, Míng Jiàn, 1980), Patrick Tam’s dazzling take on the classic wuxia adventure. Presented on Blu-ray from a brand new 2K restoration. Available as part of the Eureka Classics range, coming Nov 19 in North America. The Limited edition release of 2000 copies (per territory) will exclusively feature an O-card slipcase, and a collector’s booklet.     Best known as a key contributor to the Hong Kong New Wave as the director of MY HEART IS THAT ETERNAL ROSE and the editor of Wong Kar-wai’s DAYS OF BEING WILD and ASHES OF TIME, Patrick Tam began his filmmaking career with THE SWORD: a love letter to the wuxia genre starring

    Image courtesy of Crunchyroll.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    Image courtesy of Crunchyroll. Additional Blu-ray Releases from Crunchyroll this December Include DR. STONE NEW WORLD and SteelBook Debuts of ATTACK ON TITAN, Among Others!Source: Crunchyroll press release Anime fans will want to pour a tall cup of coffee heading into the New Year to celebrate in the most ghoulish way possible when the TOKYO GHOUL 10th Anniversary Complete Series Blu-ray Box Set releases on December 31, 2024 from Crunchyroll.  For the first time ever, this anniversary collection will contain all seasons of the popular TOKYO GHOUL series in one complete box set, including every episode of TOKYO GHOUL, TOKYO GHOUL √A, and TOKYO GHOUL:re. The art outside the box is newly commissioned artwork from the animation studio Pierrot that features the main character Kaneki and visual references to the fan-favorite opening song “Unravel” by TK from Ling Toshite Sigure. Special features will include select

    © Full Moon Features

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    © Full Moon Features Source: MVD EntertainmentSpecial Thanks to Derek Stubinski Photo courtesy of MVD Entertainment. © Full Moon Features MVD Entertainment is offering our readers a chance to win their new Full Moon Blu-ray of THE PRIMEVALS (2023), the long-delayed film by the late stop motion genius David Allen (THE HOWLING, WILLOW, GHOSTBUSTERS 2, PUPPET MASTER, EQUINOX, FLESH GORDON Stop motion FX wizard David Allen's long-planned passion project was shelved in the 1990's after Allen passed away from cancer. Finally completed in 2023 by Full Moon and former Allen associate Chris Endicott (AVENGERS: ENDGAME), THE PRIMEVALS is the ultimate retro-fantasy adventure, employing a wild array of arresting, 100% hand-rendered, stop-motion special effects in the vein of THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD, VALLEY OF GWANGI, CLASH OF THE TITANS and EQUINOX, and a rich orchestral score from composer Richard Band. THE PRIMEVALS lives!

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