Japan Foundation Tour 2018
By Jasper Sharp.
Mere days before Christmas, the Japan Foundation has announced its annual batch of seasonal goodies to get us film fans through the dark and gloomy post-festive doldrums of early 2018. This year’s nationwide touring programme, running from 2nd February to 28th March, comes packaged under the characteristically all-encompassing tag of “(Un)true Colours: Secrets and Lies in Japanese Cinema”, and promises a series that “will look at how the country’s filmmakers have been drawn to portraying the “(un)true” colours of human nature.” Continue Reading
Mai Mai Miracle: The Origins
By Andrew Osmond.
In 2009, Mai Mai Miracle’s director Sunao Kutabuchi released an unusual adjunct to his film, a self-published free magazine called The Days Blown By Mai Mai Miracle. It included his account of the origins and development of the story.
As the director explained, Mai Mai Miracle had several starting points. One was a story outline that Katabuchi had come up with himself in 2002. This was shortly after he had directed his first feature film, the family-oriented Princess Arete, in 2001. Continue Reading
Books: Chinese Animation… Again
By Jonathan Clements.
As its subtitle suggests, Wu Weihua’s book Chinese Animation: Creative Industries and Digital Culture delves into two specific elements of cartoons in China – the effects of disruptive transitions on a struggling business, and the massive transformations wrought by computers. Both these areas are under-represented in previous studies of the medium, and Wu draws upon his own 2006 doctoral dissertation for a concise and thought-provoking examination, rich in citation and commentary. Continue Reading
Sword of the Stranger
By Andrew Osmond.
If you saw the film title Sword of the Stranger without knowing anything else about it, you might guess it was a no-nonsense action flick, perhaps with a Man With No Name hero and a great many bladed weapons. And you’d be right.
It’s also an anime by the Cowboy Bebop studio, but rather than being set in outer space, this is a pic set in medieval Japan. Like many samurai adventures, it may remind viewers of the celluloid Wild West. Apart from the no-name hero, its main characters are a perky little boy and a dog, but don’t go thinking the film will be soft. It has limb-loppings, geysers of blood and a body-count to impress Tarantino. Continue Reading
NEW RELEASES: 11th December 2017
Howdy folks! We hope you've all been enjoying our 12 Days of Christmas deals, and are suitably prepared for our twelfth and final deal tomorrow, the much-vaunted "Mystery Box". Please don't ask us what's in it though because, y'know, it's a mystery.
Anyhow, there's far more going on that just our Christmas offers this week, as Monday once again brings with it some exciting new titles vying for a place within your anime collection. So, if you haven't been keeping up, here's our opportunity to lay out what's coming your way this week.
NEW RELEASES FOR WEEK COMMENCING:
11th December 2017
AJIN: DEMI-HUMAN - SEASON 1
Ajin: Demi-Human - Ltd Collector's Edition Blu-ray
FORMAT: Standard Edition DVD, Collector's Ed. Blu-ray
SRP: £29.99 (DVD), £59.99 (Collector's Ed. Blu-ray)
BBFC CERT.: 15
Language: English, Japanese and Spanish with English and Spanish subtitles
Synopsis: "When you have an infinite number of lives ahead of you, death is only the beginning.
When the truck slammed into Kei Nagai's body he should have died instantly. Instead, the high-school student finds himself resurrected, with all of his wounds somehow healed. However, Kei's real problems are just starting. Now revealed to be an Ajin, one of a mysterious new breed of demi-human that have begun appearing around the world, he's been marked with an international bounty, and in the eyes of the world's governments, Kei is a specimen to be contained by any means possible.
On the run and unable to trust anyone except his closest friend. his only hope is to discover the terrifying secrets behind his new abilities before he's forced to use them in battle!"
Order this title at:
Order at AllTheAnime.com
Order at Amazon UK
Order at Zavvi
Order at Base.com
Order at HMV Online
Order at Anime-on-Line
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
-- Read about our shop exclusive Collector's Edition poster bundle HERE
-- See a full unboxing of our Collector's Edition Blu-ray release HERE
-- Read about Ajin: Demi-Human HERE
GENIUS PARTY & GENIUS PARTY BEYOND
Genius Party & Genius Party Beyond – Ltd Collector’s Edition Blu-ray
FORMAT: AllTheAnime.com Exclusive Collector's Ed. Blu-ray , Standard Edition Blu-ray
SRP: £39.99 (Collector's Ed. Blu-ray), £29.99 (Standard Edition Blu-ray)
BBFC CERT.: 15
Language: Japanese with English subtitles
Synopsis: "An anthology anime produced by Studio 4C. Featuring a collection of eclectic shorts from 12 acclaimed directors. Those directors are Atsuko Fukushima, Shoji Kawamori, Shinji Kimura, Yoji Fukuyama, Hideki Futamura, Masaaki Yuasa, Shinchiro Watanabe, Mahiro Maeda, Koji Morimoto, Kazuto Nakazawa, Shinya Ohira, and Tatsuyuki Tanaka."
Order this Collector's Edition exclusively at:
Order the Standard Edition Blu-ray at:
Order at AllTheAnime.com
Order at Amazon UK
Order at Zavvi
Order at Base.com
Order at HMV Online
Order at Anime-on-Line
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
-- We'll have a full unboxing of our exclusive Collector's Edition coming very soon!
-- Read about Genius Party HERE
EUREKA SEVEN: PART 2
Eureka Seven - Part 2 Std. Ed. Blu-ray
FORMAT: Standard Edition Blu-ray
SRP: £49.99 (Blu-ray)
BBFC CERT.: 12
Language: English, Japanese with English subtitles
Synopsis: "Renton is a teenager trapped working as a mechanic in a backwater town. He dreams of joining up with a daredevil group of pilots known as Gekkostate and following in his father's heroic footsteps.
When a mysterious beauty named Eureka shows up asking for a tune-up, Renton soon finds himself drawn into a high-flying mecha dogfight that makes him a target of the military. When the dust settles on the spectacular battle, Renton is invited to join Gekkostate, but he soon discovers that even a dream come true has a dark side."
Order this title at:
Order at AllTheAnime.com
Order at Amazon UK
Order at Zavvi
Order at Base.com
Order at HMV Online
Order at Anime-on-Line
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
-- Read about Eureka Seven HERE
-- Eureka Seven is also available in ULTIMATE EDITION BLU-RAY FORM
That's us done for another week of new releases, with plenty to keep you busy over the coming days. Until next time, take care of yourselves.
Andy H