Plastic Memories
By Andrew Osmond
To shed light on Plastic Memories, it’s worth remembering a comment by Yasuhiro Yoshiura, who directed the android anime Time of Eve (and the gravity-defying Patema Inverted). “In the UK and US, robots are robots and they are completely different from human beings. There’s also a kind of Frankenstein complex where they are a kind of monster, standing against human beings. In Japan, robots are treated like humans; in some cases, the robots want to be human.”
Yoshiura’s comments are generalised – there are plenty of robots who want to be human in British and American SF – but they’re supported by Plastic Memories. Although the show often has a light tone, its subject is anything but light; the Japanese publicity bills it as “a story of meetings and partings.” It imagines a world where robots live with people, even as members of human families, but with very limited life-spans; they ‘die’ after nine years. The show imagines a team of professionals whose job is to supervise the androids’ passing, and collect their bodies for disposal.
The main characters are a human youth, Tsukasa, who’s just joining the Terminal Service Department, and his co-worker Isla, a petite girl android with whom Tsukasa is smitten at once. The white-haired Isla looks like Angel in Angel Beats, although she loses her composure more often; we learn androids have similar needs to humans, including toilet breaks! Continue Reading
Plastic Memories comes to Blu-ray
It's been a very long time since we first revealed that we would be bringing the series Plastic Memories to Blu-ray here in the United Kingdom, but with festive cheer being in the air we're delighted to say it'll finally be arriving early next year, starting on 13th January 2020!
As part of our 12 Days of Christmas 2019 offers at our AllTheAnime online shop we've got a special offer on pre-ordering the entire series for you! Read below for details of our release and the special offer too.
ABOUT PLASTIC MEMORIES
An original series from the writer of Steins;Gate, Naotaka Hayashi!
Synopsis: "Tsukasa Mizugaki is a recent hire of the SAI Corporation, renown for its production and management of androids capable of feeling human emotions called "Giftia". Assigned to the terminal service department, Tsukasa is tasked with recovering Giftias who are nearing their expiration from their owners before they corrupt.
But in this dead end department, Tsukasa is about to meet Isla, a female Giftia. Beneath her quiet exterior, she was once known as the best in Giftia retrievals and Tsukasa is determined to find out why she stopped."
Studio: Doga Kobo (Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, NEW GAME!, Himouto! Umaru-chan)
Original Creator: Naotaka Hayashi (Steins;Gate,
Director: Yoshiyuki Fujiwara (NEW GAME!, Engaged to the Unidentified)
Music: Masaru Yokoyama (Your Lie in April, Black Fox, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans)
HOW ARE YOU RELEASING THE SERIES?
We'll be bringing the series to Blu-ray over two Ltd Collector's Edition sets.
Product: Plastic Memories Part 1
Format: Blu-ray Ltd Collector’s Edition
Release date: 13th January 2020
Cat. No.: ANI0229
Suggested Retail Price: £39.99
Part 1 will comes with episodes 1-7 over two Blu-ray discs inside an amaray case. But additionally there will also be a box included that can also fit Part 2 (sold separately.)
On disc extras on Part 1 include two Staff & Cast Talk sessions (one featuring four voice actors from the series, the other featuring people behind the scenes of the series) and web previews of episodes.
Plastic Memories Part 1 - Blu-ray Collector's Edition
Product: Plastic Memories Part 2
Format: Blu-ray Ltd Collector’s Edition
Release date: 10th February 2020
Cat. No.: ANI0230
Suggested Retail Price: £39.99
Part 2 of the series will come with the remaining episodes (8-13) of the series over two Blu-ray discs inside an amaray case. Also included with this will be 6 art cards and a poster (34x40cm.) Worth noting that these won't be inside the amaray case itself; but will be under the cellophane around the outside of the amaray case.
On-disc extras for part 2 are web previews of episodes as well a clean versions of the Opening and Closing title sequences.
Plastic Memories: Part 2 - Blu-ray Collector's Edition
For those not aware, the series was never dubbed into English. So this is a subtitle-only release; Japanese audio with English subtitles.
WHERE CAN I BUY THE SERIES?
Both parts will be available to order from retailers soon, but today 9th December we've started taking orders at our AllTheAnime online shop! And we've got specials offers as part of our 12 Days of Christmas 2019 sales today on pre-ordering this too!
~ AllTheAnime.com 12 Days of Christmas 2019: Day 9 Special Pre-order Offers ~
From 5pm, 9th December 2019 - 4:30, 10th December 2019 pre-order both parts of Plastic Memories in a special bundle offer for £49.99
(Combined SRP: £79.98)
If you don't want to take up the bundle offer though, fret not as both parts are also have their own special offers too -
From 5pm, 9th December 2019 - 4:30, 10th December 2019 pre-order both parts of Plastic Memories individually for £29.99 each
(SRP of each individually: £39.99)
F.A.Q.(Frequently Asked Questions) Section
~ How come you're releasing it over two parts?
As part of the terms of licensing the series, we're only permitted to release the series over two volumes. Whether that will change or not in the future is something we do not know. But with that in mind, given we know how many of you like to be able to display/store your anime as a "collection" where at all possible, we hope you're happy with how we've approached our release.
~ You announced you acquired the series a long time ago. Why's it taken to so long to release?
This may seem like a cop out answer, but sometimes it's just the way things work out. Nobody intended for it to be this long. But we hope you're excited to be able to own the series now!
~ How come there is no English dub for this show?
Simply put, no English dub was ever created for it. This is why it's in Japanese with English subtitles only.
~ Will you be releasing the series on DVD?
No. It will only be released on Blu-ray.
And there you have it everyone! Plastic Memories is (finally) coming to Blu-ray in the UK! We hope you're looking forward to adding this to your collection.
Signing out~!
Jeremy
Penguin Highway comes to Blu-ray and DVD in February 2020!. Adaptation of a book written Tomohiko Morimi (Night is Short Walk on Girl, The Tatami Galaxy).
It's been a while since we last mentioned the film Penguin Highway, but for good reason! As we've been cooking up something special for our release of the film which we're delighted to announce will be coming to Blu-ray and DVD on 24th February 2020! There will be a Collector's Edition set, as well as regular Blu-ray and DVD versions as well.
Plus, today (6th December 2019) we've a special pre-order offer as part of our AllTheAnime.com 12 Days of Christmas sales on pre-ordering the Collector's Edition set! Read on below for all the details.
ABOUT PENGUIN HIGHWAY
© 2018 Tomihiko Morimi, KADOKAWA / Penguin Highway Production Committee
An adaptation of a book written Tomohiko Morimi (Night is Short Walk on Girl, The Tatami Galaxy) and is the first feature film by Studio Colorido!
Synopsis: "Aoyama is a boy in the 4th grade. Every day he learns about the world, and he writes what he’s learned into his notebook. He’s smart, and he studies hard every day, so there’s no telling how great he’ll grow up to be!
He’s friends with “The Lady”, a young woman who works at his dentist’s office. The Lady finds his intelligence, his grown - up attitude, and the fact that he can be a bit of a brat to be very cute.
One day, penguins appear in the suburbs where Aoyama lives. These penguins appear out of nowhere far from the sea, and then simply disappear. Where did they come from and where did they go?
Aoyama begins his research in order to solve the mysteries of the penguins.
One day he sees the Lady throw a can of soda into the air, and watches it transform into a penguin. As he stares in astonishment, the Lady gives him a challenge.
“Try and solve this mystery. Well? Do you think you can do it?”
What’s the relationship between the lady and the penguins? Can he solve the mystery? This is the story of a slightly mysterious and completely unforgettable summer experienced by a little boy"
WHAT'S PLANNED FOR THE RELEASE
Our Limited Collector's Edition release will come packed in a rigid case, showcasing some of the fabulous artwork created for the film on either side. Inside the rigid case you'll find a digipack to hold the Blu-ray and DVD discs - which contains the film with both English and original Japanese with English subtitles viewing options.
Additionally inside you'll find a whopping 300-page full colour storyboard book of the film! What do we mean by full colour, you may be wondering? Well it's pretty simple; traditionally storyboards are in black and white, or not coloured in. In the case of Penguin Highway, there are elements of the storyboard where colour was factored in! So where there was colour in the storyboards, that's being replicated in our storyboard book too!
And finally there's also a numbered certificate of authenticity included as well, so you can be the envy of your friends you that own this set!
Check out a visual of our release below
Coming 24th February 2020
Additionally on-disc extras will include an interview with the
- Interview with the Director of the film, Hiroyasu Ishida
- interview with the Author of the original book, Tomihiko Morimi Interview
- A promotional video focusing on the past works of Hiroyasu Ishida, who worked on the storyboarding for the film
- "Good Night" Promo Video
And for those of you who like to keep tabs of this information, a quick summary of all three versions that will be available -
Product: Penguin Highway Limited Collector's Edition
Format: DVD/Blu-ray
Release date: 24th February 2020
Language: Japanese and English with English subtitles
Cat. No.: ANI0544
Suggested Retail Price: £49.99
Product: Penguin Highway
Format: Blu-ray
Release date: 24th February 2020
Language: Japanese and English with English subtitles
Cat. No.: ANI0545
Suggested Retail Price: £19.99
Product: Penguin Highway
Format: DVD
Release date: 24th February 2020
Language: Japanese and English with English subtitles
Cat. No.: ANI0546
Suggested Retail Price: £17.99
WHERE I CAN BUY IT?
All three version of will be available from retailers - with listings likely starting to appear early next year. But today (6th December 2019) we begin taking pre-orders at our AllTheAnime online shop for them! And we've got a special very limited time offer as part of our 12 Days of Christmas 2019 sales too!
~ AllTheAnime.com 12 Days of Christmas Special Pre-order Offer ~
From 5pm, 6th December 2019 until 4:30pm, 7th December 2019 pre-order the Blu-ray/DVD Limited Collector's Edition set for £29.99 (SRP: £49.99)
You can also pre-order the standard Blu-ray and DVD versions of the film from our AllTheAnime.com online shop now too
And that's what you need to know about our release of the film Penguin Highway! Finally coming to Blu-ray and DVD in February 2020! We hope you're excited for it!
Signing out~!
Jeremy
A Silent Voice Limited Edition Blu-ray – available now for pre-order!. Early Bird deal for one day only; released on 10th of February 2020.
Ever since its premiere at Scotland Loves Anime back in October of 2016, it's fair to say that the UK has fallen in love with A Silent Voice, and with good reason - it's hard to think of a more pitch-perfect or beautiful teenage drama, and its story of redemption is one that we can all learn from, young or old.
Following its theatrical success around the country in early 2017, our Collector's Edition release of the film disappeared off shelves at a rapid rate and sold out in no time at all. Since that time, we've had many people asking if there's any way they could pick up some kind of special version of the film to add to their collection. With that in mind, and at the end of what has been a profoundly traumatic 2019 for fans of Kyoto Animation, now seemed like the perfect time to revisit A Silent Voice with a new Limited Edition treatment, for both existing fans of the film and to introduce newcomers to this masterpiece.
So, without further ado, we're proud to introduce our A Silent Voice Limited Edition set - available for Early Bird pre-order at a special price for one day only from 5PM on 6th December until 4:30PM on the 7th of December. Read on below for all of the details and links to place your pre-order!
A SILENT VOICE
Synopsis: “A heart-wrenching romantic anime drama, A Silent Voice follows a youngster named Shoko. After moving to a new school, Shoko is taunted because of her hearing impairment, principally by Shouya, who leads the class in teasing her. When Shoko is eventually forced to transfer to another school, Shouya’s classmates in turn ostracise him for his cruel behaviour.
Years later, as a young adult, Shouya is riddled with guilt over his humiliation of Shoko. Living an aimless life with no friends, he determines to find her and try to atone. But is it too late, and what might her reaction be?”
You can also check out a trailer from our previous home video release below, to give you a further taste of the film:
A SILENT VOICE - 2020 LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY/DVD
As mentioned above, the time is now ripe to revisit this stunning film on Blu-ray, so let's take our first look at what we're offering with this new Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD release being launched today.
A Silent Voice - 2020 Limited Edition Blu-ray
Product: A Silent Voice Limited Edition
Format: DVD/Blu-ray
Release date: 10th February 2020
Language: Japanese and English with English subtitles
Cat. No.: ANI0541
Suggested Retail Price: £34.99
One piece of feedback we heard from some of you when we released our original Collector's Edition was a desire to own the film with the artwork used on its Japanese home video release, so when it came to designing this edition the first thing we did was clear the use of that artwork for the rigid slip case which houses this new edition, tying into the film's visual theme of water and featuring protagonist Shouya.
Inside that rigid slip case you'll find an Amaray case, within which you'll be able to find the film on both DVD and Blu-ray. Alongside this, you'll find a set of five art cards depicting some of the gorgeous artwork from the film as well as some memorable stills from the movie, and also a 40cm x 34cm poster featuring the design used for our promotion of the film when it came to UK cinemas back in 2017.
As per our previous release, both the DVD and Blu-ray of the film contains English and Japanese audio (with stereo and 5.1 options) with English subtitles (including a Hard of Hearing subtitle track). Bonus features on the discs consist of music videos ("Koi wo Shita no wa" by AKIO and "Koe no Katachi (A Silent Voice)" by Speed of Youth), trailers and TV spots, interviews with director Naoko Yamada, character designer Futoshi Nishiya, art director Mutsuo Shinohara and music composer Kensuke Ushio, and finally a feature exploring the real-life locations used in the film.
WHERE CAN I BUY IT?
Ultimately our release of this Limited Edition of A Silent Voice will be available at all of the usual retailers as we move closer to its 10th February release date, but your first chance to buy it is right here and right now at our AllTheAnime.com online store. What's more, for one day only you can purchase this new edition of the film at an Early Bird price!
From 5PM today, 6th December 2019, through to 4:30PM on December 7th, you can pre-order this Limited Edition for just £19.99 as part of our 12 Days of Christmas sale (a full list of current deals you can find on this page of our shop). You can pick up your pre-order right now using the link below:
Alongside this, we couldn't possibly fail to mention our recent release of the original soundtrack to A Silent Voice on vinyl - it's a beautiful edition that makes for a perfect centrepiece of any fan's collection, and we've been flattered by the praise we've heard from you about our release. If you haven't yet picked up your copy of this vinyl record, then why not do so now at the same time as this new Limited Edition? If that idea takes your fancy, we're also offering up a bundle deal containing the A Silent Voice Limited Edition at its Early Bird price together with our two-vinyl set, also at its previous Early Bird price. For the full experience around this movie, why not pick it up today as another of our great 12 Days of Christmas offers? You can find the link to order below:
Well, there you have it - don't miss this opportunity to snap up such a terrific film in this beautiful new Limited Edition form!
Until next time, take care.
~Andy H
100% Perfect Sunshine Girl
By Jonathan Clements.
Teenage runaway Hodaka (Kotaro Daigo) is living hand-to-mouth in Tokyo, writing for a tabloid newspaper about conspiracy theories and the occult. One magical story seems to come true, when burger-bar waitress Hina (Nana Mori) is revealed to have the ability to control the weather. For a short period, in a limited space around her, she is able to stop the rain, a skill that Hodaka soon puts to use in a bespoke service – for anyone planning a cook-out, wedding or sports meet, the weather no longer needs to be an unknown quantity. Such guarantees, however, come with a heavy price…
The Japanese press notes for Weathering with You tell of Makoto Shinkai and his companions scrabbling around for an international title that encapsulated the themes of their film. One cannot help but wonder if one of the rejected names was 100% Perfect Sunshine Girl, a term much repeated in the film, and also recalling the 1961 Yoji Yamada film The Sunshine Girl (Shitamachi no Taiyo), which starred a young Chieko Baisho as a factory-worked in a dead-end job, seeking to escape to a career as a singer. The film launched the career of Baisho, who provides the voice of Weathering with You’s kindly grandmother nearly sixty years later. But the term’s strongest resonance for Shinkai is surely that of “On Meeting the 100% Perfect Woman One Fine April Morning”, the 1981 short story by Haruki Murakami that echoes throughout much of Shinkai’s work. Continue Reading