SciFi Japan

    The cybernetic hero Casshern returns in the anime series CASSHERN SINS, soon to be released in a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack from FUNimation. Photo courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment. © 2008 Tatsunoko Production/ Casshern Sins Project

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    Ruin is the Salvation of Man and Machine this August Source: FUNimation Entertainment Official Site: casshern-sins.jp (Japan), funimation.com/casshernsins (US) Special Thanks to Jackie Smith FUNimation Entertainment will release the complete, 24 episode series of CASSHERN SINS (?????? SINS, Kyashaan Shinsu, 2008) in a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack on August 2nd. CASSHERN SINS is a millennial update of NEO-HUMAN CASSHERN (??????????, Shinzo Ningen Kyashaan, aka CASSHAN, 1973) a beloved classic of Japanese animation which saw a lone cyborg hero opposing a robot empire that threatened to overthrow the Earth. This darker reimagining was produced by Tatsunoko Production (NEO-HUMAN CASSHERN, SPEED RACER, GATCHAMAN) with animation by Madhouse, the studio behind DEATH NOTE, GUNSLINGER GIRL, and SAIKANO. The series was directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi (DRAGON BALL Z). The unique animation style of CASSHERN SINS was supervised by Yoshihiko Umakoshi (FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, COWBOY BEEBOP). Casshern - a cybernetic

    High school gang members Moriki Takashi (Kazuki Namioka), Hideki

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    Breaking rules. Breaking faces. Source: FUNimation Entertainment Official Movie Site: FUNimation.com/drop (US), drop-movie.jp (Japan) Special Thanks to Jackie Smith The Japanese teenage delinquent action film DROP (????, Doroppu, 2009) has been released on DVD in North America by FUNimation Entertainment. Set in the 1980s, DROP was written and directed by actor/comedian Hiroshi Shinagawa of the comedy team "Shinagawa Shoki". The movie is based on Shinagawa`s 2006 autobiographical novel which was also adapted as a Monthly Shonen Champion manga by artist Dai Suzuki in 2007. Drawn to the hardcore life of a delinquent after reading the manga Be-Bop Highschool, student Hiroshi (Hiroki Narimiya, AZUMI) drops out of his upscale private school and enrolls in a gritty public school in Komae, Tokyo. On his first day he gets his ass kicked by Tatsuya (Hiro Mizushima, winner of the 2010 Japanese Academy Prize “Rookie of the

    Photo courtesy of Section23 Films.

    DVD Blu-ray Digital

    SAMURAI GIRLS COMPLETE COLLECTION Available on August 23rd Source: Section23 Films press release Special Thanks to Mike Bailiff Home video distributor Section23 Films has provided details on its August slate of releases; including the tantalizingly fun anime series, SAMURAI GIRLS. The complete collection will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray by Section23 client Sentai Filmworks. Product details follow, in order of release... MAID SAMA COLLECTION 2 Published by: Sentai Filmworks Distributed by: Section23 Films Run Time: 325 min. Street Date: 8/2/2011 Format: DVD Language: Japanese with English Subtitles SRP: $49.98 If Misaki Ayuzawa didn`t already have enough problems being the first female student council president of the formerly all-male Seika High School and carrying on a secret double life as a waitress at a local maid café by night, the fact that she may be starting to have feelings for Usui, the first boy to discover

    Key art for the anime RAY, licensed in North America by the new label, Maiden Japan. © 2005 Ray Project

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    Source: Section23 Films press release Official Site: Ray the Animation (Japan) Special Thanks to Mike Bailiff Entertainment label Maiden Japan has announced its acquisition of RAY (RAY THE ANIMATION, 2006), the 13 episode anime series based on the original manga by Akihito Yoshitomi (Blue Drop, Eat Man). Directed by Naohito Takahashi (Berserk, Steel Angel Kurumi) RAY also references the classic Osamu Tezuka (Astroboy, Kimba the White Lion) series BLACK JACK and follows the lead of that series in examining the complex ethical conflicts brought on by modern medical science, with a particular focus on the black market for human organs. If you have enough money, you can buy anything. So why wait for an organ you need to become available? Raised to be harvested for parts, Ray had already lost her eyes when renegade surgeon Black Jack rescued her. Now, ten years later, she has grown

    Photo courtesy of Section23 Films.

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    ANGEL BEATS COMPLETE COLLECTION Available on July 26th Source: Section23 Films press release Special Thanks to Mike Bailiff Home video distributor Section23 Films has provided details on its July 2011 slate of releases, including the white-hot anime series ANGEL BEATS. The complete collection will be released on DVD & Blu-Ray by Section23 client Sentai Filmworks. Product details follow, in order of release... ORPHEN COMPLETE COLLECTION Published by: Sentai Filmworks Distributed by: Section23 Films Run Time: 1175 min. Street Date: 7/5/2011 Format: DVD Language: English, Japanese with English Subtitles SRP: $49.98 A must-have for fans of anime and magic alike, ORPHEN is the exciting and adventurous quest of a young sorcerer as he desperately tries to rescue a beautiful enchantress from a curse that has transformed her into a fierce, vengeful dragon. Together with his apprentice Majic and the spoiled heiress Cleao, Orphen must battle his treacherous

    DVD and Blu-ray cover art for the second volume of CASSHERN SINS. Photos courtesy of The Associates. © 2008 Tatsunoko Production/ Casshern Sins Project

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    Source: The Associates press release Official Site: casshern-sins.jp (Japan), funimation.com/casshernsins (US) Casshern - a cybernetic assassin with no memory of his past - awakens in a corrosive wasteland where nothing survives for long. A plague known as the Ruin sweeps across this once-vibrant world, reducing everything in its path to rubble and scattering any chance for salvation. Robots and humans alike - or what little remains of them - seek vengeance against Casshern for the life he took and the role he played in their Ruin. A machine built to kill, Casshern murdered the last hope for this world, but now, lost in a future he does not recognize, he will fight to save the dying. CASSHERN SINS (?????? SINS, Kyashaan Shinsu, 2008) is a millennial update of NEO-HUMAN CASSHERN (??????????, Shinzo Ningen Kyashaan, aka CASSHAN, 1973) a beloved classic of Japanese animation which saw a lone

    Cover art for the DVD set TRANSFORMERS: THE JAPANESE COLLECTION– HEADMASTERS. Photo courtesy of Shout! Factory. © 1987/2010 Hasbro, Inc.

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    Available in Stores Everywhere on July 5 Source: Shout! Factory press release Special Thanks to Tom Chen This summer, loyal fans and collectors can finally bring home a new installment of the ongoing animated saga of TRANSFORMERS as Fortress Maximus, Scorponok and the rest of the Headmasters make their U.S. home entertainment debut in TRANSFORMERS: THE JAPANESE COLLECTION– HEADMASTERS DVD set from Shout! Factory, in collaboration with Hasbro, Inc. THE TRANSFORMERS– HEADMASTERS (????????? ??????????, Toransufoomaa za Heddomasutaazu, 1987) is the first part of the rare Japanese trilogy that followed the popular “Generation 1” animated series. Available for the first time in North America , this collectible 4-DVD set features the complete action-packed episodes from the HEADMASTERS series and contains the original Japanese language tracks along with updated English subtitles, a rare art gallery and more! Poised to attract an audience of pop culture enthusiasts, kids and

    Sisters Miyuki (Yuri Nakamura) and Kaori (Mina Fujii) get into serious trouble in KYOFU, the sixth film in the J-HORROR THEATER series. © 2009 KYOFU Film Partners

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    Movie from the Creators of RING to be Released July 20th Source: Madman Entertainment Official Site: sentoshojo.jp (Japan) Special Thanks to Ben Pollock and Philippa Lamb In 2004, producer Takashigi Ichise (the RING and JU-ON/THE GRUDGE films) launched J-HORROR THEATER (J horaa Shiataa), a series of six standalone horror films directed by genre favorites such as Hideo Nakata (RING, DARK WATER), Takashi Shimizu (JU-ON, THE GRUDGE), and Kiyoshi Kurosawa (CURE, PULSE). The final J-HORROR THEATER movie, KYOFU (??, 2010), was written and directed by Hiroshi Takahashi, the screenwriter of the original RING (???, Ringu, 1998) which made modern Japanese horror films a worldwide phenomenon. The theatrical poster for the film was rejected for display by Japanese train stations for being too graphic in its depiction of an exposed brain. KYOFU is the story of two sisters, Kaori (Mina Fujii, 10 PROMISES TO MY

    DESTROY ALL MONSTERS— featuring eleven Toho daikaiju stars— is one of two classic Godzilla movies coming to DVD and Blu-ray from Media Blasters. © 1968 Toho Co., Ltd.

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    Distributor Dispels Recent Rumors and Provides Details on New Toho Acquisitions Author: Keith Aiken Source: Media Blasters, Inc. Special Thanks to Carl Morano and Ed Godziszewski A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE On May 27th, the New York-based home video and theatrical distributor Media Blasters announced that they have acquired North American rights from Toho Co. for the Godzilla movies DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (?????, Kaiju Soshingeki, 1968) and GODZILLA VS MEGALON (???????, Gojira tai Megaro, 1973). Both films will be released on Region 1 DVD and Blu-ray through the company`s live-action Asian cinema division, Tokyo Shock. DESTROY ALL MONSTERS was previously issued on VHS and DVD in America by the now-defunct label, ADV Films. Debuting before Toho began releasing the Godzilla movies on DVD in Japan, the ADV disc was a completely bare bones release lacking even such basic features as menus or chapter

    Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © 2011 VIZ Media, LLC

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    25 Years of Storytelling and Pioneering New Paths in Global Entertainment Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Special Thanks to Jane Lui, Candice Uyloan, and Erik Jansen VIZ Media, the largest distributor of anime and manga in the North America, will celebrate its 25th Anniversary on July 7th, 2011. Over its 25 year history, VIZ Media has led the transformation of manga and anime from a niche category sold only at specialty retailers into a mass media phenomenon popularized on Cartoon Network, Hulu and iTunes, and available at Barnes & Noble and Walmart. Today, VIZ Media is North America’s largest distributor of anime and manga, and is leading the global anime and manga industries to their digital futures. To celebrate 25 years of pioneering new paths in global entertainment and publishing, later this year VIZ Media will be unveiling new properties, marketing programs, and distribution partnerships.

    COLD FISH, the acclaimed film from the director of LOVE EXPOSURE, will be released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK by Third Window Films. Photos courtesy of Third Window Films. © 2010 Sushi Typhoon/ Nikkatsu

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    Source: Third Window Films press release Official Movie Site: coldfish.jp (Japan), thirdwindowfilms.com/cold-fish (UK), sushi-typhoon.com/coldfish (US) Special Thanks to Adam Torel UK label Third Window Films is pleased to announce the release of COLD FISH (??????, Tsumetai Nettaigyo, 2010), Sion Sono’s gruesome follow up to LOVE EXPOSURE, as a 2-disc DVD set and Blu-ray on June 27th, 2011. Inspired by and loosely based on the real-life exploits of serial killer couple Gen Sekine and his ex-wife Hiroko Kazama (the perpetrators of Tokyo’s notorious 1993 “Saitama serial murders of dog lovers” killings), COLD FISH is a psychotic cavalcade of sex, violence and comedy. Noboyuki Shamoto (Mitsuru Fukikoshi) runs a small tropical fish shop. His second wife, Taeko (Megumi Kagurazaka), does not get along with his daughter, Mitsuko (Hikari Kajiwara), and this worries him. One day Mitsuko is caught shoplifting at a grocery store. There they

    KING OF EDEN, the first of two EDEN OF THE EAST theatrical films, will be released on DVD and Blu-ray in Australia by Madman Entertainment. Photo courtesy of Madman Entertainment. © 2009 EDEN OF THE EAST.

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    Special Edition Comes with Bonus Feature Film: EDEN OF THE EAST: AIR COMMUNICATION Source: Madman Entertainment Official Site: juiz.jp (Japan) Special Thanks to Ben Pollock and Philippa Lamb The Air King returns! The intrigue goes international in EDEN OF THE EAST THE MOVIE 1: THE KING OF EDEN (????? ????The King of Eden, Higashi no Eden Gekijooban I: The King of Eden, 2009), a feature-length conspiracy thriller that continues the action of the anime series EDEN OF THE EAST. The deadly game that began in Japan now intensifies on the streets of New York City. The rules are the same: do whatever it takes to win. Die if you lose. Takizawa prevented Japan`s destruction - and then he vanished. Six months later, clues lead Saki to the Big Apple in search of her missing friend. Meanwhile, the remaining Selecao are plotting their final

    The creative force behind APPLESEED returns with two haunting vignettes about mankind’s ruthless quest to build a future in the vacuum of space in TO. © 2009 Yukinobu Hoshino, Futabosha/ TO Committee

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    Source: FUNimation Entertainment Official Site: mv.avex.jp/to (Japan), funimation.com/tomovie (US) Special Thanks to Jackie Smith North American anime distributor FUNimation Entertainment has licensed the home entertainment, broadcast, digital rights and merchandise rights for the sci-fi original video anime TO (???, 2009) from Showgate, Inc. TO will be available from major retailers as a Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack on June 7, 2011. The suggested retail price is $34.98. The OVA is directed by Fumihiko Sori (APPLESEED, VEXILLE and the upcoming DRAGON AGE role-playing video game based anime film being produced by BioWare and FUNimation). In TO, Sori has adapted two stories from Yukinobu Hoshino`s manga 2001 Nights (2001???, Nisenichi Ya Monogatari). "Elliptical Orbit" and "Symbiotic Planet" are part of Hoshino`s centuries-long storyline about mankind`s voyages into space. Elliptical Orbit Fifteen years after its last contact with our world, a space freighter known as the Flying Dutchman

    Cover art for the upcoming North American DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Set of the Japanese live action sci-fi adventure GANTZ. Photos courtesy of NEW PEOPLE Entertainment. © Hiroya Oku/Shueisha © 2011 Gantz Film Partners

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    Source: NEW PEOPLE Entertainment, Warner Home Video Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US) Special Thanks to Shio Toyoda This August, NEW PEOPLE Entertainment (formerly VIZ Pictures) is bringing the Japanese live action science fiction adventure GANTZ (??, 2011) to DVD and Blu-ray in North America. The film is based on the hit manga series created by Hiroya Oku, which has sold over 15 million copies worldwide (published in America by Dark Horse Comics) and was previously adapted in a 26 episode anime series. Directed by Shinsuke Sato (THE PRINCESS BLADE) and starring Kazunari Ninomiya (LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA) and Kenichi Matsuyama (DEATH NOTE, DETROIT METAL CITY), GANTZ made its world premiere in the U.S. with screenings held at over 330 theaters nationwide. The movie went on to top the Japanese box office for four consecutive weeks, grossing over $40 million. In the

    The boy detective Conan Edogawa has entertained readers and audiences for 17 years. © Gosho Aoyama/ Shogakukan, Yomiuri-TV, TMS

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    Boy Detective Franchise Still Going Strong Author: Andrew Nguyen Source: FUNimation Entertainment, VIZ Media Official Manga Site: websunday.net/conan (Japan), shonensunday.com/series/caseclosed (US) Official Anime Site: ytv.co.jp/conan, conan-movie.jp (Japan), funimation.com/caseclosed (US) Special Thanks to Jackie Smith Shinichi Kudo is one of Japan’s most famous tantei (detective) due to his ability to solve even the most baffling cases. The press referred to him as the "Detective of the East" even though he is only a teenager. After finishing a date with his childhood friend Ran Mouri at a Tokyo amusement park, he inadvertently witnesses a shady deal between a Japanese businessperson and a mysterious man in black. But before Kudo can investigate further, he is ambushed and knocked out by another man in black. To eliminate Kudo while leaving no trace of their presence, the two men in black force-feed him APTX-4869, an untraceable experimental poison.

    A Japanese high school girl (Yumi Sugimoto) discovers she has deadly powers in MUTANT GIRLS SQUAD. Photo courtesy of Sushi Typhoon. © 2010 Sushi Typhoon and Toei Video

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    Madman Will Unleash the Freaks on June 22nd Source: Madman Entertainment Official Site: sentoshojo.jp (Japan), Sushi Typhoon (US) Special Thanks to Ben Pollock and Philippa Lamb Action, comedy and splatter: times three! For the first time ever, Japanese cult filmmakers Noboru Iguchi (ROBO-GEISHA, THE MACHINE GIRL), Yoshihiro Nishimura (TOKYO GORE POLICE, VAMPIRE GIRL VS. FRANKENSTEIN GIRL) and Tak Sakaguchi (DEATH TRANCE, VERSUS, SAMURAI ZOMBIE) have joined forces to bring you three times the heart-pounding action, three times the jaw-dropping comedy and three times the head-exploding splatter of your average action / horror / comedy! It’s MUTANT GIRL SQUAD (???? ???????, Sento Shojo: Chi no Tekkamen Densetsu, 2010)... a three-times-larger Mutant Action Extravaganza, filled with so much outrageousness that it took three directors to bring it to you! Rin (Yumi Sugimoto) is a seemingly normal Japanese high school girl, but on her sixteenth birthday,

    Photo courtesy of Section23 Films.

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    HIGH SCHOOL OF THE DEAD COMPLETE COLLECTION Available on June 28th Source: Section23 Films press release Special Thanks to Mike Bailiff Home video distributor Section23 Films has provided details on its June 2011 slate of releases, including the highly anticipated complete collection of HIGH SCHOOL OF THE DEAD to be released on DVD & Blu-Ray by Section23 client Sentai Filmworks. Product details follow, in order of release... MAID SAMA COLLECTION 1 Published by: Sentai Filmworks Distributed by: Section23 Films Run Time: 325 min. Street Date: 6/7/2011 Format: DVD Language: Japanese with English Subtitles SRP: $49.98 Getting sent to Seika High School is scary enough if you`re a guy, but now that the notorious former boys` school has gone coed, the unfortunate girls who`ve been enrolled there have only one goal - getting through each day as it comes. But into this untamed and testosterone-filled wilderness comes

    Manga Entertainment celebrates its 20th anniversary with Katsuhiro Otomo’s masterpiece AKIRA on DVD and— for the first time ever in the United Kingdom—Blu-ray. Cover art courtesy of The Associates. © 1988 Akira Committee

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    The Anime Classic Gets a Major UK Re-release Source: The Associates press release To coincide with Manga Entertainment’s 20th anniversary celebrations, in June 2011 the company will be releasing on Blu-ray— for the first time ever in the United Kingdom— the movie that started it all and defined the Manga brand as one of the world’s leading anime distributors... Katsuhiro Otomo’s classic AKIRA! Prior to the Blu-ray release, the film will also open at selected UK cinemas, giving fans the chance to see this “lavish animation extravaganza” (Variety) in all its big screen glory. Universally acclaimed as one of the greatest anime features of all time and hailed as “a visionary, game-changing masterpiece” (News of the World), the film has been digitally restored and remastered in full HD with super dynamic “Hypersonic” audio especially for this long-awaited Blu-ray release. Acknowledged as a hugely

    The worldwide releases of EVANGELION: 2.22 YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE continue as the film comes to DVD and Blu-ray in Australia. Photo courtesy of Madman Entertainment. © 2009 Khara

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    Second "Rebuild of Evangelion" Film Streets June 15th Source: Madman Entertainment Official Movie Site: evangelion.co.jp (Japan), funimation.com/evangelion (US), madman.com.au/nge (Aus) Special Thanks to Ben Pollock and Philippa Lamb The impressive 21st Century makeover of one of the most revered and influential anime series of all time continues apace with the Australian DVD and Blu-ray release of the feature-length EVANGELION: 2.22 YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE (????????????: ?, Evangelion Shin Gekijoban: Ha, 2009) from Madman Entertainment. The second of four planned movies based on the original anime series NEON GENESIS EVANGELION (???????????, Shin Seiki Evangelion, 1995), this latest instalment introduces new pilots, new Evas and new Angels as the ongoing story involves to new heights of intensity. Written by NEON GENESIS EVANGELION creator Hideaki Anno and directed by regular EVANGELION collaborator Kazuya Tsurumaki, EVANGELION: 2.22 YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE presents a thrilling and visually spectacular

    The popular UK label Manga Entertainment celebrates their 20th Anniversary with new DVD/Blu-ray releases, product lines, and events. Photo courtesy of The Associates. © 2011 Manga Entertainment, LLC

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    UK Anime Label Celebrates Two Decades as Market Leader Source: The Associates press release Official Site: manga.co.uk Manga Entertainment, the UK’s leading purveyor of Japanese animation, celebrates two decades as film producers, market leaders and video distributors for such acclaimed animation classics as AKIRA, BLEACH and DEATH NOTE. The first and best anime distributor in the UK, Manga Entertainment remains at the forefront of modern media, part of a whirlpool of social networking trends and new forms of fun. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of AKIRA on UK video, Manga Entertainment is releasing Katsuhiro Otomo’s classic in an all-new Blu-ray edition. But that’s not all! • Uniqlo team assemble! Manga Entertainment joins forces with Japanese clothes company Uniqlo to help promote their line of T-shirts based on popular anime characters. • Manga Entertainment is a sponsor and participant in We Love Anime, a

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