SENTAI FILMWORKS LICENSES “GINTAMA – THE MOVIE”

February 9, 2012 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

HOUSTON, February 9, 2012— Sentai Filmworks once again returns to the world of the strangest samurai odd jobs ever with the company’s announcement of their licensing of GINTAMA – THE MOVIE, the latest installment in the hugely successful GINTAMA animated series based on the GIN TAMA manga series by Hideaki Sorachi. Following the wise, ancient and possibly Japanese adage of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” the 95 minute feature film reunites most of the key staff of the TV series. Director, Shinji Takamatsu (SCHOOL RUMBLE) and writer Akatsuki Yamatoya (To LOVE RU, SOUL EATER) handle the story components of the film, while animation director Shinji Takeuchi (SAMURAI CHAMPLOO) once again takes up the task of adapting Sorachi’s original character designs for film.

Odd Jobs Gin has taken on a lot of odd work in the past, and when you’re a Jack of All Trades agency based in a feudal Japan that’s been conquered and colonized by aliens, the term “Odd Jobs” means REALLY ODD jobs. But when some more than slightly suspicious secrets from the shadows of OJG founder Gintoki Sakata’s somewhat shady former samurai past and a new pair of odd jobs collide, the action is bound to get so wild and demented that only a feature film will do it justice! So if you’ve had the good fortune to see Gintama, Japan’s most popular science fiction samurai series before, get ready for more of the same on an epic scale! And if you haven’t seen Gintama before, well, this is your quick and easy introduction to why Gintama (the series) is the hottest thing to hit the Land of the Rising Sun since a certain large, green reptile whose name we can’t use due to certain litigious lawyers! So sit down, strap yourself in and make sure you’re not wearing anything too tight or constricting as the junior half of OJG takes on the task of tracking down a tenacious terrorist while their silver-haired slickster of a partner seeks out a certain sword in the side-splittingly silly GINTAMA- THE MOVIE!

GINTAMA- THE MOVIE will soon be available digitally, with a home video release on DVD and Blu-Ray scheduled for later this year.

About Sentai Filmworks:
Sentai Filmworks is one of the fastest-growing anime companies in North America, producing hit series like High School of the Dead, Towanoquon, Samurai Girls, Guin Saga, Needless and Angel Beats as well as high profile theatrical films such as Grave of the Fireflies and Appleseed. Sentai Filmworks’ programs can be found on home video distributed by Ingram Entertainment, Baker & Taylor, Section23Films, The Right Stuf and other good and fine distributors. Digital product offerings may be found at iTunes, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, Zune Marketplace, Anime Network, Playstation Network, Android Market and YouTube.
www.sentai-filmworks.com

Filed Under: Anime Related News

Xam’d: Lost Memories – Complete Collection (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

February 8, 2012 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

If you are looking for one of the best anime series to come out on Blu-ray in the USA, know that “Xam’d: Lost Memories – Complete Collection” is one of those titles. Wonderful production quality, a captivating, deep storyline and an anime series on Blu-ray that I highly recommend!

TITLE: XAM’D: Lost Memories – Complete Collection

ANIME RELEASE DATE: 2008-2009

DURATION: 26 Episodes: (650 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (16×9), Japanese and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English subtitles

COMPANY: Aniplex/Sentai Filmworks

Release Date: February 7, 2012

Directed by Masayuki Miyaji

Script by Megumi Shimizu, Yuuichi Nomura

Music by Michiru Oshima

Original Character Design by Kenichi Yoshida

Character Design by Ayumi Kurashima

Art Director: Takashi Aoi

Anime Production: BONES

Featuring the following voice talent:

Atsushi Abe/Blake Shepard as Akiyuki Takehara

Fumiko Orikasa/Monica Rial as Haru Nishimura

Yuko Sanpei/Luci Christian as Nakiami

Ayumi Fujimura/Hilary Haag as Midori Nishimura

Keiji Fujiwara/Andrew Love as Raigyo Tsunomata

Michiko Neya/Maggie Flecknoe as Prois Sukakki

Motomu Kiyokawa/Andy McAvin as Reizo Kanba

Risa Hayamizu/Kaytha Coker as Fusa Takehara

Romi Park/Jessica Boone as Kujireika

Shinnosuke Tachibana/David Matranga as Furuichi Teraoka

Unshou Ishizuka/T. Postlewaite as Ryuuzou Takehara

Yasunori Matsumoto/Chris Hutchison as Toujirou Kagisu

Yumi Tamai/Shelley Calene-Black as Ishuu Benikawa

Set on a peaceful island during a violent terrorist attack, a young boy is suddenly transformed into a metal-cased mercenary. But with this great power comes even greater danger. Aiyuki must discover how to master this remarkable new power – or risk having this mysterious fusion of rock, metal and magic destroy him!

In 2008, anime studio BONES, Sony Computer Entertainment and Aniplex collaborated on a project known as “Xam’d: Lost Memories”.

The series would be featured on the PlayStation Network (PSN) at E3 (and also feature Sony Music Japan music artist KYLIE) and would air later in the fall on Japanese television. The series was directed by Masayuki Miyaji (“Eureka Seven”, “Scrapped Princess”, “Ghost Slayers Ayashi”), a screenplay by Megumi Shimizu (“Heroman”, “Soul Eater”, “Eureka Seven”) and Yuuichi Nomura (“Darker than Black”, “Overman King Gainer”, “Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion”). The music for the series is by Michiru OShima (“Arc the Lad”, “Gokusen”, “Fancy Lala”, “Le Chevalier D’Eon”), character designs by Ayumi Kurashima (“Eureka Seven”, “RahXephon”, “Wolf’s Rain”) and art backgrounds by Takashi Aoi (“Ergo Proxy”, “RahXephon”, “Samurai Champloo”, “Darker than Black”).

A total of 26-episodes were created and was released on Blu-ray and DVD (in two volumes) in the United States courtesy of Sentai Filmworks.

In Feb. 2012, Sentai Filmworks will be re-releasing “XAM’D: Lost Memories” as a complete collection.

“Xam’d: Lost Memories” is set in Sentan Island, a small island surrounded by the Yuden Sea and is cut off from the war between the Northern Government and the Southern Continent Free Zone.

We are introduced to teenager Akiyuki Takehara who lives with his mother Fusa in Sentan Island but is also dealing with the separation between his mother Fusa and his father, the town doctor, Ryuzo. While going to school and joining with his best friends Haru and Furuichi, he sees a girl (not knowing that she is from the religious cult of Ruikonism) who doesn’t have her armband (to show that they are students). So, Akiyuki comes up with a clever plan to get the girl into the bus.

As they arrive to school, while everyone is departing the bus to get to school, the mysterious girl that Akiyuki had helped get into the bus, detonates a bomb and killing and injuring people nearby. One of the lights which had extended from the bomb, hits Akiyuki in his right arm.

As he goes to check on the mysterious girl, she makes Akiyuki transformer. Immediately, Akiyuki’s right arm stars to change and then his whole body has turned into a creature known as Xam’d (an endosymbiotic organism known as Hiruko which merges with a human).

While soldiers are thinking that Akiyuki may be responsible for the blast, Haru can hear Akiyuki inside the beast, saying that he wants to live.

Akiyuki is then pursued by a monster and the two fight each other. And out of nowhere, a girl named Nakiami seems to know about his transformation and gives him a choice. If he comes with her, he will live. If he decides to say, he will turn to stone and die.

Wanting to live, Akiyuki joins Nakiami and a group of travelers who are members of the International Postal Ship Zanbani and while traveling to new lands on the airship Beat Kayak, Akiyuki is trained by Nakiami on how to control the beast within him and retain his humanity and also trained for postal work for the Zanbani crew.

Meanwhile, back on Sentan Island, Akiyuki’s parents worry that their son may be dead, but with inspiring words from Haru (who made a promise to Fusa that she would watch over Akiyuki), the three believe that Akiyuki is alive and will do what they can to find him. As for Furuichi, he continually becomes fueled by jealousy when he sees that Haru is constantly thinking about Akiyuki.

As for Akiyuki’s best friends, because the tranquility of Sentan Island is no more, his friend Furuichi and also Haru join the military in orders to stop any more of these Xam’d monsters from killing and hurting people. Meanwhile, a strange mad doctor is trying to develop more and monsters.

The main characters of “Xam’d: Lost Memories” are:

Akiyuki Takehara – The main protagonist of the series. A high school student who cares about his family and friends. But now that his body can easily change to a Xam’d and wipe away his human existence, through training by Nakiami and Raigyo, he hopes that he can be strong enough in order to stay human and co-exist with the “hiruko”. He also works for the International Postal Ship Zanbani after leaving Sentan Island behind in order to train with Nakiami.
Nakiami – A mysterious and serious person who has familiarity with Xam’d and quite knowledge about it. She trains Akiyuki on how to control the hiruko and also a member of the International Postal Ship Zanbani.
Haru Nishimura – Akiyuki’s childhood friend who cares deeply for him. She is great at martial arts and joins the Mainsoul military in hopes it will give her a chance to meet with Akiyuki once again.
Furuichi Teraoka – Akiyuki’s friend and also a martial artist. Since the destruction in Sentan Island, he has developed a hatred towards the Xam’d but also unleashing emotions such as jealousy towards Haru as she is constantly thinking about Akiyuki. He joins Mainsoul military in order to eliminate Xam’d.
Fusa Takehara – Akiyuki’s mother who is searching for her son and hopes he is still alive. She is separated from Ryuuzou Takehara.
Ryuuzou Takehara – Akiyuki’s father who is separated from Fusa. He is the town’s doctor but also a former military researcher who worked on Northern Continent to develop humanform weaponisation projects.
Ishuu Benikawa – The captain of the International Postal ship Zanbani. Always wearing a crop top and is strong-willed.
Raigyo Tsunomata – A Xam’d who left the Zanbani to work as a photographer but has now returned back to the group two-years later. He has control over his human and Xam’d form and tries to help Akiyuki.
Akushiba – Akiyuki’s roommate on the Zanbani and has a crush on Nakiami.
Yunbo – The cook of the Zanbai and mother of Hinokimaru but also a guardian to Kobako.
Ahm – The pilot of Zanbani.
Kisei – The mechanic for Zanbani.
Tenshin-Sama – An old sage who is a guide for Nakiami, Raigyo and Akiyuki.

VIDEO:

“Xam’d: Lost Memories” is presented in 1080p High Definition. BONES has done a fantastic job on this series and what is amazing is that for a TV series, it doesn’t look like a low-budget production, nor does it look like it was quickly made as the art backgrounds, mecha design are well-detailed. Character designs almost have a Ghibli style to them, especially for the character of Nakiami who has almost a “Nausicaa” style to her.

But overall, the picture quality is vibrant, clear and sharp. And while I usually put Production I.G. animated series to on top for their dedication of making their TV series look great and separate themselves from other anime series when it comes to detail, for “Xam’d: Lost Memories”, BONES did a fantastic job in creating this look and feel for the series.

“Xam’d: Lost Memories” is a beautiful anime series! And looks absolutely awesome on Blu-ray! No sign of softness, edge enhancement, artifacts, etc.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Xam’d: Lost Memories is presented in Japanese and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. I tested both soundtracks and audio from front channel to surround channels are exact on both soundtracks. There is a decent amount of surround channel usage during the action sequences and also some LFE.

Considering that viewers are getting two DTS-HD Master Audio lossless tracks instead of the typical 2.0 soundtrack that many TV series offer, for me, that’s pretty awesome! As for which I prefer, English or Japanese, I watched both but I have to say that although I’m quite biased towards the original Japanese soundtrack, the casting was well-done for this series and the English dub is very well-done!

Overall, whichever soundtrack you prefer, “Xam’d: Lost Memories” definitely outshines many anime series for its 5.1 lossless track and the fact there was good use of surround channels and LFE in trying to make the series much more immersive.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Xam’d: Lost Memories – Complete Collection” comes with the clean opening and closing animation and also the on-air opening and closing animations.

It’s true that many anime series tend to have a banality when it comes to storytelling and while there many kitschy titles released every year, there are TV series that stand out for its storytelling and production quality.

In 2009, that anime series was “Xam’d: Lost Memories”.

While the high school/terrorism storyline is nothing new, as anime fans have seen it before with “Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion”, this series is not about alien occupation but it’s about the state of war, terrible experimentation that go wrong and stopping that experimentation.

While there are many characters featured throughout the anime series, the writers do make things easy by focusing on Akiyuki, Nakiami and Haru. The other characters are more of providing the lightheartedness of the series but also to show a parent’s agony of having lost their child and hopes that he is still alive.

So, there are many adventures, battles and military/political intrigue that will keep anime fans glued to the TV series as it is one of the better, deeper anime storylines to come out to the U.S.

I can easily remember the buzz that surrounded “Xam’d: Lost Memories”. In fact, I was among the very few outside of Japan to interview the music duo BOOM BOOM SATELLITES who performed the opening theme and Kylee who sung the ending theme for “Xam’d: Lost Memories”.

But what I remember the most was how stunning the animation and art backgrounds especially the storyline was for this TV series. Bare in mind, BONES is one of the most well-known anime studios in Japan and one of the busiest, but for many anime studios, for a TV series, not many studios go all out in production because of budget and time constraints.

But for “Xam’d: Lost Memories”, this anime series featured a wonderful collaboration between BONES, Aniplex and Sony Computer Entertainment and it was one of the first earlier experiments of attempting at bringing an anime to an international audience.

It was indeed a breakthrough anime series that really took a TV series to greater heights by its production and was well-received both in Japan and with its Blu-ray and DVD release in the United States.

And as many people are now moving from DVD to Blu-ray, this re-release of “Xam’d: Lost Memories – Complete Collection” is a chance for many new anime fans to watch one of the better well-rounded anime series to come out in the last decade. And this is the complete collection, not the previous Blu-ray release which was split up into two volumes.

And this is great news for anime fans who have wanted to see Sentai Filmworks move towards full-season anime releases on Blu-ray! And this is a remarkable deal consider that in Japan, they broke these apart into eight Blu-ray volumes and one volume still costs significantly more than this US complete collection.

As for the Blu-ray release, while the picture quality is fantastic, the lossless soundtrack was very good (considering this anime TV series does provide a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack), special features are mostly the clean opening and ending animation. For an anime series of this caliber, you would hope for more special features but even in Japan, the Blu-ray releases were barebone releases.

Overall, “Xam’d: Lost Memories” is one of those rare, quality-based anime TV series that you don’t see often. The storyline is captivating, deep and a series that features higher production value when it comes to both animation, art background design and also sports a DTS-HD 5.1 lossless Japanese and English soundtrack.

If you are new to anime or just upgraded from DVD to Blu-ray and are looking for an anime series, “Xam’d: Lost Memories – Complete Collection” is one of the better anime on Blu-ray releases available in the U.S.

Highly recommended!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

The World God Only Knows: Season One (a J!-ENT Anime DVD Review)

January 19, 2012 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

If you are looking for a TV series that is not dark, deep, perverted or violent you’ll enjoy the anime series, “The World God Only Knows”. Fun, entertaining and recommended!

TITLE: The World God Only Knows: Season One

ANIME RELEASE: 2010

DURATION: Episodes 1-12 (300 Minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, Full English Subtitles/Songs & Signs

COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks

RATED: TV 14D

RELEASED: January 24, 2012

Originally created by Tamiki Wakaki

Directed by Shigehito Takayanagi

Series Composition by Hideyuki Kurata

Music by Hayato Matsuo

Character Design: Akio Watanabe

Art Director: Ayumi Sato, Kayoko Tokou

Anime Production by Manglobe

Featuring the following voice talent:

Hiro Shimono/Chris Patton as Keima Katsuragi

Kanae Itō/Elysia de Lute Ima as Elysia de Lute Ima

Aoi Yūki/Hilary Haag as Mio Aoyama

Ayana Taketatsu/Kaytha Coker as Ayumi Takahara

Kana Hanazawa/Hilary Haag as Shiori Shiomiya

Nao Tōyama/Brittney Karbowski as Kanon Nakagawa

Ai Nonaka as Library committee chairman

Atsuko Tanaka/Elizabeth Bunch as Nikaidō-sensei

Hidetoshi Nakamura/Chris Hutchison as Mio’s father

Keima is a dating sim champion. Cute girls are rendered powerless by his irresistible game playing techniques. Too bad things aren’t that way in the real world… that is, until his tempting game playing causes a real live – and very bubbly – cute demon hunter named Elsie to materialize! Now Elsie wants Keima to help her free hot girls from sneaky demons who secretly possess them.

In 2008, manga artist Tamiki Wakaki created the series “Kami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai” (The World God Only Knows) which was serialized in “Weekly Shonen Sunday” and is still ongoing today.

In 2010, an anime adaptation of the series featuring 12-episodes were created and featured anime produced by Manglobe (“Deadman Wonderland”, “Samurai Champloo”, “Ergo Proxy”, “House of Five Leaves”). The series is directed by Shigehito Takayanagi (“Galaxy Angel”, “Kanamemo”, “Trigun”), screenplay by Hideyuki Kurata (“Bamboo Blade”, “Excel Saga”, “R.O.D. – the TV-”), music by Hayato Matsuo (“Saint Tail”, “Transformers Armada”, “Saint Tail”), character design by Akio Watanabe (“Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko”, “Nurse Witch Komugi”, “Akiba-Chan”) and art direction by Ayumi Sato (“Sacred Blacksmith”, “CANAAN”, “Hell Girl: Two Mirrors”) and Kayako Tokou (“House of Five Leaves”, “Heroman”, “Angel Beats!”).

The series revolves around Keima Katsuragi, a high school student who is obsessed with dating simulator videogames. And because he is so good with these games, he is known on the Internet as “The God of Conquests” in which many all over the Internet would come to him for advice on how to handle situations in how to approach girls on these games.

But while he is a master at getting girls on the video games, because he is introverted, he has not been able to have any real girlfriends. In fact, because he is constantly playing video games even in class, many in school regard him as an otaku.

Meanwhile, in Hell, there are problems as spirits from Hell have escaped and have possessed several girls. And now, a demon from Hell and new Spirit Hunter named Elsie has been chosen to find someone in catching these spirits. And because Keima is known as “The God of Conquests”, Elsie feels that he is the only person that can help her.

So, she sends him a contract for his help but for Keima, he thinks its an invitation to a video game and agrees.

Immediately, he is greeted by the cute and bubbly demon named Elsie and finds out from her that he has signed a contract, breaking the contract can lead to him being beheaded and killed. And in order to complete the contract, he must help catch runaway spirits that have hidden inside the hearts of girls. The only way she can get these spirits if Keima uses his method in “conquering” girl’s hearts and make them fall in love with him, thus filling their heart with love and pushing the spirits out of their body.

As Elsie adapts to the human world by becoming Keima’s illegitimate sister and attending his school and vouching for him (she has no idea that people think of him as an otaku), together they work in conquering a girl’s heart in order for her to catch the spirits and bring them back to Hell.

“The World God Only Knows: Season One” comes with twelve episodes. Here is spoiler-less summary of each episode:

FLAG 0.0: God of Conquest - An OAV/short prologue introducing Elsie as she becomes a spirit hunter.
FLAG 1.0: Love Makes the World Go Round – The introduction of Keima and how he must get through Ayumi’s heart.
FLAG 2.0: Demon of a Sister – Elsie becomes Keima’s illegitimate sister and both run into Mio Aoyama, a rich girl.
FLAG 3.0: Drive My Car – Keima and Elsie learn that he must free Mio’s heart.
FLAG 4.0: On a Crusade – Keima is hooked on the game “Crayon” but the game is full of bugs and keeps looping and requires Elsie’s help.
FLAG 5.0: IDOL BOMB!! – Elsie is a big fan of pop idol Kanon Nakagawa, but when she goes to visit Keima’s school and finds out that he is not interested in her, she is shocked and depressed and tries to win him over to her music.
FLAG 6.0: I’m Ordinary – Kanon is turning invisible because of the spirit is inside her. Can Keima help her?
FLAG 7.0: Shining Star – Kanon prepares for her concert but her negative thoughts cause her to become invisible.
FLAG 8.0: Coupling with with with – Elsie accidentally unleashes a Mandragon towards Elsie.
FLAG 9.0: Inside & Outside the Big Wall – Keima wants Elsie to learn more about modern human history at the library, and while at the library she meets Shiori Shiomiya and detects a spirit inside her.
FLAG 10.0: Inside of Me… – What strategy will Keima use in order to free Shiori’s spirit?
FLAG 11.0: The Last Day – Shiori locks herself and barricades the library to prevent them from disposing the books, Keima tries to help her by sneaking into the library and confront her.
FLAG 12.0: More Than a God, Less Than a Human – Because Keima has been busy catching spirits, he has a backlog of new games that he hasn’t played, so now he must go into “God of Conquest Mode” in order to play all six.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“The World God Only Knows” is presented in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen and is presented in English and Japanese 2.0.

It is important to note that if you want the best video and audio quality for “The World God Only Knows”, a Blu-ray version of the series will be released on the same day. As for the DVD, “The World God Only Knows” is a colorful anime series featuring a good amount of the detail on character animation and art backgrounds. While I’m sure the Blu-ray version is much more vibrant with much better black levels and clarity, for the most part, the DVD quality is good, although it does have the usual softness that you come to see from anime TV series.

As for audio, both soundtracks are in 2.0 stereo and is front-channel driven. English voice acting is well-done on both the Japanese and English soundtracks. Especially the music which comes out quite cleary during Kanon Nakagawa’s story arc.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“The World God Only Knows: Season One” includes the following special features:

Music Videos – Featuring Kanon Nakagawa’s music videos.
Clean Opening Animation
Clean Closing Animation

Charming, heartwarming and fun, “The World God Only Knows” is an entertaining comedy series.

While the character of Keima and his passion for dating sims may not break any new ground for anime series (the anime series “Chaos: Head” takes a more darker approach to an obsessed otaku gamer), what I did enjoy about the concept of “The World God Only Knows” is its approach to Keima and Elsie trying to capture these spirits.

The series could have gone the banal route of becoming a harem anime series as Keima does use his charm in order to help each of these girls that have spirits within him, but one thing I would like to see explored is Keima’s growth as a person. The first season focuses on Keima, an obsessed otaku learning how to communicate with “2D” (real women) rather than video game girls, so you hope to see him make the transition in becoming a person from the experiences that he learns from each girl that he helps.

So, it would be interesting to see how things change with the character by season two, if there are any changes at all or if he’s literally going to stay as this introverted video game otaku, which would be sad.

As for the DVD, as mentioned earlier, if you want the best video and audio, you will definitely want to go with the Blu-ray release for “The World God Only Knows” otherwise, the DVD is still good, a bit soft on the picture quality but that is quite common with a lot of anime TV series. You do get the Kanon Nakagawa music videos which was a nice addition to the opening and closing themes.

Overall, if you are looking for a TV series that is not dark, deep, perverted or violent you’ll enjoy the anime series, “The World God Only Knows”. Fun, entertaining and recommended!

Filed Under: Anime on DVD

SENTAI FILMWORKS LICENSES “MOTTO TO LOVE RU”

January 11, 2012 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

HOUSTON, January 11, 2012— Sentai Filmworks is pleased to announce the acquisition of MOTTO TO LOVE RU, the sequel series to the company’s previous hit TO LOVE RU. Based as before on the manga by Kintaro Yabuki (BLACK CAT) and Saki Hasemi (MOETAN,) the new 12 episode series is helmed by Atsushi Otsuki, (who directed the final episode of the original series as well as episodes of FULL METAL ALCHEMIST, the second season of WAGNERIA and LADIES VS. BUTLERS,) working from series composition by SLAYERS and VENUS VS. VIRUS vet Yasutomo Yamada, while Yuichi Ouka once again adapts Yabuki’s original character designs for animation.

The insanity that began when a very naked (and very female) alien teleported into Rito Yuki’s bathtub (while he was in it) continues, and even though Princess Lala has finally started to admit her true feelings about the young man she’s inexplicably engaged to marry (as a result of what happened in said bathtub and Develuke customs,) her sometimes erratic technology and the snags and snarls of intergalatic politics and intrigue are still causing major problems. That transporter, for example? Still has the nasty habit of leaving the clothes behind. Those alien bounty hunters? Yep, even more of them and they’re even more devious. Add body switches, alien skunks, a bathroom that changes size and shape, the inevitable sleepover that you just know is going to go horribly, horribly wrong (spoiler: it does,) and worst of all, Valentine’s Day, and even in space you’ll be able to hear Rito scream! Love takes a quantum shift into the wrong gear and the star brakes are broken in the extra-special, extra-crazy extraterrestrial romance to end them all, MOTTO TO LOVE RU – The Complete Collection!

Watch for MOTTO TO LOVE RU on subtitled DVD this spring!

Filed Under: Anime Related News

Sentai Filmworks Licenses “Waiting in the Summer”

January 5, 2012 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

SENTAI FILMWORKS LICENSES “WAITING IN THE SUMMER”

HOUSTON, January 5, 2012— Sentai Filmworks is very proud to announce the acquisition of the eagerly awaited new anime WAITING IN THE SUMMER (ANO NATSU DE MATTERU), which is already drawing considerable buzz due to its re-pairing of several already highly successful creative partnerships. Legendary anime writer Yōsuke Kuroda (Excel Saga, High School of the Dead, Puni Puni Poemy,) reteams with his PLEASE TEACHER!/PLEASE TWINS collaborator, original character designer Taraku Uon (READ OR DIE, TV and OVA,) while director Tatsuyuki Nagai (Toradora, Honey & Clover II,) reunites with his TORADORA/ANO HI MITA HANA collaborator, character designer Masayoshi Tanaka (also HIGH SCHOOL OF THE DEAD,) to produce a unique 12 episode anime series that takes a rather different view of the classic teen romance genre.

Lights! Camera! Teen Angst! When a group of friends decide to make a movie over a long summer holiday, they end up learning a little about filmmaking and a lot more about each other and themselves. What begins as a simple way to avoid the summer doldrums quickly turns into something much more complex, intimate and revealing, as the maturing relationships between the members of the young cast take on new, and sometimes very unexpected, turns. Get ready for a whole new take on summer romance as hidden emotions get captured and secrets meant to be kept hidden inside young hearts instead spill off of the screen for your viewing pleasure in WAITING IN THE SUMMER!

Waiting in the Summer will debut on digital platforms starting this month with a subtitled DVD to follow later in the year.

Filed Under: Anime Related News

SENTAI FILMWORKS LICENSES GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES

December 1, 2011 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

HOUSTON, December 1, 2011— Sentai Filmworks proudly announces the company’s acquisition of distribution rights for the critically acclaimed animation masterpiece GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES. Based on the semi-autobiographical retellings of survivor Nosaka Akiyuki and directed by Iaso Takahata (co-founder, with Hayao Miyazaki, of Japan’s legendary Studio Ghibli, the studio that performed the animation duties for the film,) GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES has been universally hailed as both an artistic and emotional tour de force, with famed critic Roger Ebert calling the feature “An emotional experience so powerful that it forces a rethinking of animation” and stating that “it belongs on any list of the greatest war films ever made.” Sentai Filmworks is extraordinarily honored to have been given the privilege of handling the digitally restored version of one of the art of animation’s true crowning achievements.

As the Empire of the Sun crumbles upon itself and a rain of firebombs falls upon Japan, the final death march of a nation is echoed in millions of smaller tragedies. This is the story of Seita and his younger sister Setsuko, two children born at the wrong time, in the wrong place, and now cast adrift in a world that lacks not the care to shelter them, but simply the resources. Forced to fend for themselves in the aftermath of fires that swept entire cities from the face of the earth, their doomed struggle is both a tribute to the human spirit and the stuff of nightmares. Beautiful, yet at times brutal and horrifying, it is a film that perhaps only the animated medium could render without completely overloading human senses, transforming the fog of war and the screams of the dying into what Ebert calls “visual poetry.”

Digital distribution of GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES will begin through many outlets this winter, and a DVD of the digitally restored master will be in stores next year.

About Sentai Filmworks:
Sentai Filmworks is one of the fastest-growing anime companies in North America, including hit series like Highschool of the Dead, Guin Saga, Needless, Canaan and Angel Beats. Sentai Filmworks programs can be found on home video distributed by Ingram Entertainment, Baker & Taylor, Section23Films, The Right Stuf and other good and fine distributors. Digital product offerings may be found at iTunes, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, Zune Marketplace, Anime Network, Playstation Network and YouTube.

Filed Under: Anime Related News

COICENT AND FIVE NUMBERS On Sale Today

November 22, 2011 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

HOUSTON, November 22nd, 2011 – Section23 Films is pleased to announce today’s release of the twin sci-fi anime mini features COICENT and FIVE NUMBERS. The two larger than life stories will be released together on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Title:                 COICENT / FIVE NUMBERS
Running Time:   60 min.
Age Rating:       TV PG
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
CAT:                 SF-COI/FN
UPC:                814131012029
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Street Date:      11/22/2011
Format:             DVD
SRP:                $29.98

Title:                COICENT / FIVE NUMBERS BLU-RAY EDITION
Running Time: 60 min.
Age Rating:      TV PG
Language:        English & Japanese with English Subtitles
CAT:                SFB-COI/FN
UPC:               814131017710
Published by:   Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Street Date:     11/22/2011
Format:            BD
SRP:               $39.98

SYNOPSIS: Get ready for a double dose of amazing science fiction as two astounding tales come together in one incredible collection of state of the art animation! First, it’s a quick time jump to the 26th century where a school trip to a rebuilt 21st century city turns into a wild adventure for teenage Shinichi. While chasing a talking deer that steals his bag, he runs into a strange girl trying to elude even stranger pursuers, and then things get wild. It’s a mad dash through a city of the past as two young people discover a chance at a new future in COICENT. Then, four people awake to find themselves in the ultimate prison: an ex-soldier, a beautiful woman, an average Joe and a young computer hacker. Why are they there? What connection links them together? And how can they escape? The answer seems to lie with the fifth prisoner, an old man who knows far more than he is telling. And then there’s the cat. It’s the ultimate locked room mystery and all their lives hinge on solving it in FIVE NUMBERS.

Filed Under: Anime Related News

Loups=Garous: The Motion Picture (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

November 11, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

“Loups=Garous: The Motion Picture” is not a great animated film, nor is it the worst. But while I was entertained by the characters and the futuristic storyline, I was also bothered by how rushed the film felt. Otherwise, if you are a Natsuhiko Kyogoku or SCANDAL fan…or someone wanting not a series but an anime mystery film, then definitely give “Loups=Garous: The Motion Picture” a try!

TITLE: Loups=Garous: The Motion Picture

FILM RELEASE DATE: 2010

DURATION: 98 Minutes

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (16×9), English Dolby TrueHD 2.0, Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks

RATED: TV 14V

Release Date: November 29, 2011

Originally created by Natsuhiko Kyogoku

Directed by Jun’ichi Fujisaku

Screenplay by Midori Gotou, Sayaka Harada

Music by SCANDAL

Original Character Design by Chizu Hashii

Character Design: Akiharu Ishii

Art Director: Koji Eto

Animation Director: Akiharu Ishii

3D Director: Kenji Isobe

Sound Director: Kisuke Koizumi

Director of Photography: Tsuyoshi Shimura

Editing: Junichi Uematsu

Anime Production: Production I.G.

Featuring the following voice talent:

Hiromi Igarashi/Corey Hartzog as Ayumi Kouno

Kanae Oki/Melissa Davis as Hazuki Makino

Marina Inoue/Hilary Haag as Mio Tsuzuki

Eriko Hirata/Shelley Calene-Black as Shizue Fuwa

Haruo Satou as Adoptive Father

Kana Uetake/Serena Varghese as Yūko Yabe

Kiyoshi Katsunuma as Yūji Nakamura

Kunihiro Kawamoto/David Matranga as Tōji Kunugi

Manabu Sakamaki as Ryū Kawabata

Miyuki Sawashiro/Luci Christian as Rei Myao

Tomomichi Nishimura as Executive Office Chief

Yutaka Aoyama/Andy McAvin as Riichirō Ishida

After a virus claims millions, most live in the safety of a closed-off world, relegating themselves to an on-line existence. But when a young girl decides to brave life outside the virtual world, she finds a group of friends – and a killer. Someone is hunting and violently murdering children. Who? Why? And is she the next target?

In Japan, Natsuhiko Kyogoku is a well-revered mystery writer who has written many novels, some that have won several of Japan’s top awards. And some of those novels have been made into anime TV series such as “Moryo no Hako” and “Kosetsu Hyaku Monogatari” and most recently a film adaptation of his novel “Loup-Garou Kihisubeki Okami”.

While hardcore fans are typically vocal about anime adaptations of his work, Natsuhiko has always been vocal of how he encourages the anime adaptations of his novel to be different and in this case, the animated film would utilize social media and also a J-Pop collaboration for this latest work.

“Loups=Garou: The Motion Picture” would feature the all-female Japanese rock band SCANDAL in their first anime voice over, but also supplying not only three theme songs but also motion capture for the film. Also, a Mixi (Japan’s popular social media website) tie-in that allowed winners to sing background along with Scandal for the ending theme of the film.

The film is directed by Jun’ichi Fujisaku (Director of “Blood+” and writer of “XxxHOLiC the Movie: A Midsumer’s Night Dream” and “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex”), a screenplay by Midori Gotou (“Blood+”) and Sayaka Harada (“Library War”), music and voice acting by the band SCANDAL, character design by Akiharu Ishii (“Blue Seed Beyond”, “Blood+”, “The Prince of Tennis”) and background art by Koji Eto (“Angel Beats!”, “Oreimo”).

And now, Sentai Filmworks is bringing “Loups=Garous” to the U.S. on Blu-ray and DVD. It’s important to note that the Japanese and U.S. version slightly differ in that the character Ayumi Kono for the English dub version is a male, while the Japanese version, she is a female (verified by the Japanese special features on this Blu-ray release).

For the sake of continuity, I’m going to refer to the Japanese version as Ayumi as a female in my review, not by the English dub version depicting him as a male.

“Loups=Garous: The Motion Picture” begins with main character Hazuki Makino talking about a Japan in the distant future. A time where security cameras have been installed all over the city to monitor young children/teenagers. Each carry a small computer/cell phone device which allows for them to be monitored.

In this future Japan, the children/teens do not have any contact with humans as they are constantly online and their human interaction are typically done online. But they are required to go on communications training in order to learn how to communicate with other humans.

Also, in the future, humans no longer eat animals. They eat synthetic food made of plants.

On the day of communications training, Hazuki is joined by a few students. One is a hacker named Mio Tsuzuki, the other is the expressionless Ayumi Kono and a third student named Yuko Kabe.

One night, Yuko Kabe is seen running from a group of young men wearing masks as they look as if they are going to kill her and thus she has gone missing.

The three wonder about Yuko and because Mio is a hacker, she lets them know about what she does for fun. But because they are being monitored, she would need to create some magic and faking the monitoring devices to let the security think they are at home, when in truth…they are out of their homes.

When Hazuki and Ayumi visit Mio’s home, they find computers everywhere and Mio has manages to hack into the main security system and they see that Yuko was followed by men dressed with masks and possibly was attacked. The footage that Mio hacks into showing a friend of her’s, a fighter named Rei Myao defeating the fighters and saving Yuko’s life.

But it is also revealed that Ayumi was there at the time when Rei was trying to protect Yuko and for some reason, two of the people in masks that were fighting her, were killed.

When the three go to talk with Rei, they realize that she has rescued a few other female students that have gone missing and one of them is Yuko.

So, the group sneak Yuko out to stay in an area where there is no security, a place where Ayumi hangs out. And while the four hang out together, they have fun and enjoy 21st century music, especially the all-female band SCANDAL and inspired by the music video clips, they joke around about forming their own all-female band.

And the four can’t wait to hang out with each other again. But when Yuko goes to give Hazuki a message at her home, but because she escaped monitoring, Yuko is caught and taken into custody by the security company.

But not fearing for her because she should be safe with them, unfortunately, the following morning, the trio learn that Yuko has been killed. This enrages Mio because she has had security on Yuko and has been monitoring the data. The only thing they can think of is that someone in the security company is changing the data in order not to be caught.

But when Mio’s home is blown-up and Hazuki is nearly killed by people working for the security company, they realize that their lives are in trouble. Now Ayumi and Hazuki are determined to find out who is trying to kill them.

But with Japan monitored so closely, will they survive by the end of the day?

VIDEO:

“Loups=Garous: The Motion Picture” is presented in 1080p High Definition. While Production I.G. is typically known for gorgeous art backgrounds and character design, for this film, there is an interesting animation style in conjunction with 3D work.

For a film, the character designs are not exactly as detailed as one would expect from a Production I.G. film but at the same time, the emphasis by of a futuristic Japan but also incorporating traditional Japan was quite intriguing. For the most part, the character design was rather interesting to see for an animated film but at the same time, it gave the film a refreshing style. But while it worked for me, I know it won’t work for some others. The basic look may give viewers a sense of low quality or rushed animation, it’s definitely was subjective topic when it came out in Japan, as many voiced their opinions towards the overall design of the film.

But for the most part, the art background work does look vibrant and detailed but other than that, the character designs may be too basic-looking for some viewers.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Loups=Garous: The Motion Picture” is presented in lossless Japanese and English Dolby TrueHD 2.0. I was a bit surprised that there was no 5.1 lossless track but for the most part, dialogue and music is clear through the front channels. I decided to have my receiver play stereo on all channels for a more immersive soundtrack.

As mentioned earlier, there is a difference between the English and Japanese soundtracks. Sentai Filmworks decided to make the character Ayumi Kono as a male character rather than a female character. I’m not sure if it’s because the character Hazuki Makino takes a liking towards Ayumi but the fact is that Ayumi is a tomboy and that because Mio features the band SCANDAL, they come up with an idea to also have an all-female band like SCANDAL which makes sense.

Nevertheless, it was a decision that Sentai Filmworks decided to go for in their English dub of the film, including the English subtitles for the film, when the Japanese voice actress talks about Ayumi being a “her” and the Japanese promotional videos talk about the film featuring “four girls”, the English subtitles also refer to Ayumi as being “him”.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Loups=Garous: The Motion Picture” features the following special features:

Interview with Jun’ichi Fujisaku – (7:20) An interview with the director of the animated film. About what he wanted to accomplish in terms of look and feel for the film.
Interview with Japanese Cast - (17:19) An interview with the Japanese voice cast.
Interview with Natsuhiko Kyogoku – (3:45) The creator of “Loups=Garous” talks about his feeling of a anime adaptation of the film, the technology when he wrote the book and how some of it has come true today and also working with SCANDAL.
SCANDAL meets Loups=Garous – (15:45) The four members talk about the motion capturing of KOSHI-TAN, their first anime voice dubbing job, the MIXI contest and more.
KOSHI-TAN Promotional Video – (1:34) The animated segment featuring SCANDAL.
Movie Digest – (12:31) A promotional video that goes into detail of what the animated film is about.
Pilot Movie – (12:43) Featuring a quick runthrough of what “Loups=Garous” is about, less shading more basic looking version.
Picture Drama – (8:30) Featuring a non-animated tale of Hazuki’s interest in Ayumi via still frames.
Japanese Promotional Videos – (1:58) SCANDAL tie-in with the animated film.
Japanese Trailer – (1:20) The original theatrical trailer.

Intriguing from start to finish! “Loups=Garous: The Motion Picture” is a film that manages to be interesting, but at the same time, has quite a bit of shortcomings.

First, let’s begin with the good. I did enjoy the storyline of a future Japan where humans stopped interacting and everything is done online to the point that everyone has no need to venture outdoors. Also, interesting is humanity giving up eating meat and the thought of eating animals is considered uncivilized.

I also liked the pop culture interaction with the Japanese rock band SCANDAL who has three songs in the film, but also provided the motion capture and voice dubbing for their characters in the film. But also, the social media marketing aspect by having a contest for people to lend their voice for the SCANDAL ending theme.

And if you have Production I.G. working on an animated film, you expect quality, especially when they are known for making anime look so beautiful.

And “Loups=Garous: The Motion Picture” does look good when it comes to the art backgrounds, while the character designs may seem a bit too basic for some, I look at it as bit refreshing and to see something new and different from other anime films.

While I enjoyed the concept of the film, while I’m sure Natsuhiko Kyogoku’s novel probably made a more interesting storyline to read, the anime adaptation had a few things that worked against it. For one, in a futuristic setting, Japan is almost like modern-day North Korea, there are hardly anyone in the streets. Yes, people must be monitored and are kept in their homes. I understand that people do not need human interaction but to see a Japan that is not alive with people, it’s a bit surprising.

Aside from the main characters and a few perpetrators in masks, I wonder if director Jun’ichi Fujisaku captured the feel of Natsuhiko Kyogoku’s novels because Japan’s life seemed to be sucked out as there are no cars, there are very few living people around.

The film is also hurt by its rushed climax. I felt the screenplay was rushed when it came to the end of the movie. There are some story plots which were not well-executed.

The other nitpick was Sentai Filmworks deciding to change Ayumi’s character to a male character. Even in the subtitles, Ayumi is referred to as a “him”, while in the Japanese special features, she is referred by the Japanese voice actress as a “her” and also the promotional video discussing the film as a story about “four girls”. So, I was a bit surprised by the decision to change the character and I wonder if it was because the female character Hazuki had an interest towards Ayumi.

For me, what made me enjoy this Blu-ray release of “Loups=Garous: The Motion Picture” were the special features included. Loved the fact they included interviews with the Japanese voice talent, the director but also the creator Natsuhiko Kyogoku. Also, as a fan of SCANDAL, it was great to see them involved in an anime series as voice talent but also more interaction than just an ending theme. The special feature with them observing their motion capture, voice dubbing and MIXI contest footage was very cool!

“Loups=Garous: The Motion Picture” was a film that had potential but perhaps the team were under a tight schedule (as Production I.G. typically has so many other projects going on at the same time) that the screenplay and the execution of the film made it feel that the animated film was rushed.

Not to say that I didn’t enjoy the film, because I did. I enjoyed the characters and how the film started out a bit cute and innocent and later became to be a darker film. And as mentioned, I probably enjoyed the look much more than others because it was different from other anime series. But I do understand some Japanese viewers who criticized the film as they have high expectations of an adaptation of literary works by Natsuhiko Kyogoku. This was not the adaptation that some were looking forward to.

While the film may seem a bit cutesy and fun, it does have its share of darker moments. While the overall film is not violent, by the final half hour, we get to see people getting killed, and for those wondering about the title “Loups=Garous” which means “Werewolf” in French, in the context of the anime series, the title refers to being human that does things that only a monster can do, and in this case, we get some interesting situations of where a human does some monstrous things.

Overall, “Loups=Garous: The Motion Picture” is not a great animated film, nor is it the worst. But while I was entertained by the characters and the futuristic storyline, I was also bothered by how rushed the film felt. Otherwise, if you are a Natsuhiko Kyogoku or SCANDAL fan…or someone wanting not a series but an anime mystery film, then definitely give “Loups=Garous: The Motion Picture” a try!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

SENTAI FILMWORKS LICENSES A-CHANNEL

November 9, 2011 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

HOUSTON, Nov 9, 2011— Sentai Filmworks announces the acquisition of A-CHANNEL, a cutting edge, slice of life comedy series based on the popular four panel comic by bb Kuroda. Helming the task of adapting the four panel strip into linear story are director Manabu Ono (Transformers: Cybertron, Dragonaut, Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere,) and lead writer Tatsuhiko Urahata (Strawberry Panic, Murder Princess, Monster.) Animation director and character designer Masakatsu Sasaki (Saki, Erotic Torture Chamber) adapts Kuroda’s designs for the animation medium while music is in the hands of Satoru Kousaki (Lucky Star, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.)

Toru and Run have been best friends forever, so when Toru learns that she’s managed to get into the same high school as Run, she runs to tell her… only to find Run in a compromising position with yet another girl, Yuko. Needless to say, that makes things a bit awkward at school, with Toru fending off those who might be interested in Run while Yuko and their other girlfriend, Nagi, have to deal with Run’s own penchant for drama. But it’s not all angst all the time, and as the school year progresses the four girls and their many classmates find time to laugh, play and figure out how to handle unexpected problems life likes to throw at them. Like bugs in the house, accidentally giving each other horrible haircuts, freezing up at karaoke or forgetting to put your underwear on in the morning. When it comes to learning about the real world, there’s always something ‘educational’ to be found in A-CHANNEL!

A-CHANNEL will be available digitally through many outlets and on subtitled DVD next February.

About Sentai Filmworks:

Sentai Filmworks is one of the fastest-growing anime companies in North America, including hit series like Highschool of the Dead, Guin Saga, Needless, Canaan and Angel Beats. Sentai Filmworks programs can be found on home video distributed by Ingram Entertainment, Baker & Taylor, Section23Films, The Right Stuf and other good and fine distributors. Digital product offerings may be found at iTunes, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, Zune Marketplace, Anime Network, Playstation Network and YouTube.

Filed Under: Anime Related News

CLANNAD COMPLETE COLLECTION BLU-RAY EDITION On Sale (November 8, 2011)

November 8, 2011 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

HOUSTON, November 8th, 2011 – Section23 Films is pleased to announce one of anime’s most beloved series comes to HD. CLANNAD COMPLETE COLLECTION BLU-RAY EDITION is on sale today!

Title: CLANNAD COMPLETE COLLECTION BLU-RAY EDITION

Running Time: 600 min.

Age Rating: TV PG

Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles

CAT: SFB-CL500

UPC: 814131011718

Published by: Sentai Filmworks

Distributed by: Section23 Films

Street Date: 11/8/2011

Format: BD

SRP: $89.98

SYNOPSIS: Tortured by his past and pained by an uncertain future, Tomoya drifts through life with an almost overwhelming anger and emptiness. But when he meets the mysterious, charming and shy Nagisa, his world seems to change. Drawn in by her gentle but lonely spirit, he begins to experience the joy life can bring. But as he discovers the reason for his newfound friend’s loneliness, Tomoya also finds that life can be frighteningly fragile. Poignant. Compelling. Heartbreaking. Clannad is one of the most cherished anime of all time. And now it’s available for the first time in beautiful, high-definition clarity.

About Section23 Films:

Section23 Films provides home video marketing and distribution services for a variety of companies, including Sentai Filmworks, Switchblade Pictures, Maiden Japan and AEsir Holdings. With its special focus on genre entertainment, Section23 Films distributes some of the very best anime, martial arts, and horror titles on the market today.

Filed Under: Anime Related News