Birthday Wonderland
By Jonathan Clements.
Listless and depressed, and desperate to avoid the latest trend-conscious schoolgirl drama at school, Akane (Mayu Matsuoka) feigns an illness, which her mother Midori (Kumiko Aso) seems ready to indulge – it is going to be her birthday soon after all. Instead, she sends the pouting teenager over to Aunt Chii’s junk shop to pick up her present, where Akane inadvertently summons the alchemist Hippocrates (Masachika Ichimura) through the portal that exists in Aunt Chii’s basement.
Hippocrates has come in search of the Green Goddess of the Wind, a legendary figure in his own world, who is needed to help his country face a crisis. Reluctantly conceding that she might be the one, Akane allows herself to be dragged along into an adventure that will include, in no particular order, giant carp, a granny who threatens to knit herself to death, stampeding sheep and a cat’s arse. Continue Reading
Gundam 00 coming to Blu-ray in November!. Part 1 arrives 11th November | Part 2 follows in December.
It's one we know a lot of people have been waiting for, and today we're (finally) delighted to tell you our plans for bringing the series Mobile Suit Gundam 00 to Blu-ray for the first-time in the United Kingdom!
We've got all the information you need to know below. Just to say it from the outset, there's a lot of info to take in about how we'll be releasing this but take a few minutes to read it all and everything will become clear!
ABOUT Mobile Suit GUNDAM 00
Gundam 00
Director: Seji Mizushima (Fullmetal Alchemist, Expelled From Paradise)
Original Japanese broadcast year: October 2007
Synopsis: The year is 2307 A.D. While the Earth's reserves of fossil fuels have been depleted, humanity has obtained a new, nearly infinite source of energy to replace them in the form of large-scale solar-powered generation systems based on three huge orbital elevators. However, the benefits of this system are available only to a handful of major powers and their allies.
These orbital elevators belong to three superpower blocs: the Union, the Human Reform League and the AEU. These confederations continue to play a grand zero-sum game for the sake of their own prestige and prosperity. Thus, even in the 24th Century, humanity has yet to unite as one.
In this world of unceasing conflict, a private armed organisation steps forward, declaring their intention to eliminate war through martial force. Using the power of their mobile suits combatively, a series of four high-performance machines each dubbed "Gundam," the paramilitary organisation known as Celestial Being takes the world stage, beginning armed interventions within all the world's nations.
You can watch a preview, originally released to celebrate the series' 10th anniversary, below:
HOW WILL YOU BE RELEASING THE SERIES?
First and foremost, the series will be getting released over two parts. As has become a tradition of sorts at this stage with our Gundam Collection of releases, the first print-run of Part 1 will come with a bonus edition box that can hold Part 2 (sold separately) when released.
The first print-run of Part 2 (aka, Gundam 00 Second Season) will come with a bonus limited edition booklet that will sit nicely along the series inside the box.
You can see a visual of both parts below.
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- Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Part 1 – Blu-ray Collector’s Edition — out 11th November
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- Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Part 2 – Blu-ray Collector’s Edition — out 16th December
Just alleviate any fears, the Collector's Edition versions will be the only versions available to begin with and are not exclusive to any one retailer. But obviously will only be available while stock lasts. (And as has been the case with past releases of ours, that might not be very long at all.) There will be a standard edition release of both parts in the future, but not until next year at absolute earliest.
The SRP of each set is £59.99, but as has been the case with other releases this ultimately won't be what you pay for it once you factor in respective retailer discounts and whatnot. And (at time of writing) pre-orders for Part 1 have launched today (20th September) with a limited-time early bird offer at our AllTheAnime online shop! (Details on that further below.)
Pre-orders for Part 2 will at our AllTheAnime online shop commence closer to the date of release.
Gundam 00: Part 1 Collector's Edition
Format: Blu-ray
Release date: 11th November 2019
SRP: £59.99
Gundam 00: Part 2 (aka Gundam 00 Second Season) Collector's Edition
Format: Blu-ray
Release date: 16th December 2019
SRP: £59.99
Here's a look at both sides of the box that comes with our Gundam 00: Part 1 Blu-ray Collector's Edition release - out 11th November
WHAT'S ON THE DISCS for EACH PART OF GUNDAM 00?
Both parts of Gundam 00 will have episodes spread over 4 Blu-ray discs. As if the 25 episode per season wasn't enough, the discs have got of extras including audio commentaries with member of the Japanese cast and director! So here's a breakdown of what's on each part:
Gundam 00: Part 1 -- on-disc content
~ Episodes 1-25 over four Blu-ray discs.
~ Audio options are English and original Japanese (with English subtitles). Both audio options being 2.0, for anyone curious.
~ On disc extras across the four discs are:
-- Tactical Forecast #3 - #25
-- Clean Opening title sequences #1 & #2
-- Clean Ending title sequence #1,
-- Gundam 00 "Daybreak's Bell" promotional video,
-- Episode 17 Audio Commentary feat. Katsuyuki Konishi (Japanese VA of Johann Trinity), Daisuke Namikawa (Japanese VA of Michael Trinity), Rie Kugimiya (JP VA of Nina Trinity) & Seiji Mizshima (director)
-- Episode 21 Audio Commentary feat. Yoko Honna (Japanese VA of Sumeragi), Ayahi Takagaki (JP VA of Feldt Grace), Arise Sato (Japanese VA of Christina Sierra) & Seiji Mizushima (director)
-- Episode 25 Audio Commentary feat. Mamoru Miyano (Japanese VA of Setsuna F. Seiei), Shinichiro Miki (Japanese VA of Lockon Stratos), Horiyuki Yoshino (Japanese VA of Allelujah Haptism), Hiroshi Kamiya (Japanese VA of Tieria Erde) & Seiji Mizushima (director)
Gundam 00: Part 2 (aka Gundam 00 Second Season) - on-disc content
~ The remaining 25 episodes (26-50, which is the complete second season of the series) across four Blu-ray discs.
~ Audio options are once again English and original Japanese (with English subtitles). Both audio options being in 2.0.
~ On disc extras are as follows:
-- Tactical Forecasts #28 - #50
-- Clean Opening title sequences #1 & #2 of Gundam 00 Second Season
-- Clean Ending title sequences #1 & #2 for Gundam 00 Second Season
-- Episode 1 (26) Audio Commentary feat. Mamoru Miyano (Japanese VA for Setsuna F. Seiei) and Miyu Irino (Japanese VA for Saji Crossroad)
-- Episode 3 (28) Audio Commentary feat. Hiroyuki Yoshino (Japanese VA for Allelujah Haptism), Yoko Honna (Japanese VA for Sumeragi Lee Noriega) & Arisa Ogasawara (Japanese VA for Soma Peries)
-- Episode 8 (33) Audio Commentary feat. Hiroshi Kamiya (Japanese VA for Tieria Erde), Romi Park (Japanese VA for Regene Regetta) & Chiwa Saito (Japanese VA for Louise Halevy)
-- Episode 14 (39) Commentary feat. Mamoru Miyano (Japanese VA for Setsuna F. Seiei), Keiji Fujiwara (Japanese VA for Ali al-Saachez) & Ayumi Tsunemastsu (Japanese VA for Marina Ismail)
-- Episode 17 (42) Commentary feat. Hiroyuki Yoshino (Japanese VA for Allelujah Haptism), Arise Ogasawara (Japanese VA for Soma Peries), Unsho Ishizuka (Japanese VA for Sergei Smirnov) & Tetsu Shiratori (Japanese VA for Andrei Smirnov)
-- Episode 20 (45) Audio Commentary feat. Mamoru Miyano (Japanese VA for Setsuna F. Seiei) & Shinichiro Miki (Japanese VA for Lokon Stratos)
-- Episode 25 (50) Audio Commentary feat. Mamoru Miyano (Japanese VA for Setsuna F. Seiei), Shinichiro Miki (Japanese VA for Lockon Stratos), Hiroyuki Yoshino (Japanese VA for Allelujah Haptism) & Hiroshi Kamiya (Japanese VA for Tieria Erde).
WHERE & WHEN CAN I ORDER THIS?
Pre-orders for Part 1 begin today (Friday 20th September) at our AllTheAnime online shop! You can order this below:
But don't worry, it'll be getting listed with other retailers in the coming weeks.
Pre-orders for Part 2 won't begin for a while yet, but rest assured that as soon as we're taking orders for it, we'll be sure to make it known.
It's great you're releasing the series, but Will you/when will you be releasing the Gundam 00 Movie & OVAs?
We want to make it known we are hoping to also release the follow up movie, Gundam 00: A Wakening of the Trail Blazer and the 3-part "Special Edition" Season 1 & 2 compilation OVAs. These won't happen until next year at the absolute earliest, but when there is more information that can be shared about this we'll be sure to make it known.
Also worth noting that we aware there has been a 4K Blu-ray release of the movie, but any release from us would be on traditional Blu-ray only.
The F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked QuestionS) Section
Pretty self explanatory, but below you'll find listed a bunch of question you have stemming from the information noted above. Hopefully everything you'll want to know will be answered below but if there is anything else about Gundam 00 you want to ask about, feel free to post your questions in the comments below or contact us via our social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).
-- Will you be releasing a complete collection of Gundam 00?
The short answer to this is no. It's something we'd love to do if the opportunity ever presented itself but if you want to own all of Gundam 00 on Blu-ray you'll need to purchase each product.
-- You've referred to Gundam 00's second season as Part 2, but generally it's treated as a separate second season. Can you clarify how you are handling that?
Yes, so this is actually an interesting topic to touch on. For clarity, we are utilising the same disc master as has been used in North America for our UK release Gundam 00 Part 1 & 2. The way this was handled over there was to treat them as separate entities, so the first season being episodes 1-25, and then there being the second season which has its own episodes 1-25.
To keep with consistency of our releases, we are referring to the second season as Part 2, episodes 26-50. (This was what we planned for from outset, and you've seen from our past Gundam releases, is a format we've very much established.) The second season of Gundam 00 is a bit of anomaly in this instance. So the discs being utilised will refer to everything as a separate entity, but we are much treating as the second half of the series.
-- Are you releasing an ultimate edition of Gundam 00?
No. We have no plans to release an Ultimate Edition of Gundam 00. Our focus is very much on making Gundam as a whole available to as many people as possible at a price point that reflects the UK market. We know elsewhere there may have been high end editions of the series, but we're continuing with our Gundam Collection model of releases.
But to add a small clarification to this, we did previously talk about plan for a Deluxe Edition style release, however plans have had to change for that.
That being said, we're still hoping we may be able to offer bonus box of some sort for you to able to house all of Gundam 00 that would incorporate space for both the parts (factoring in the space for the art box and booklets that come with part 1 & 2) of the series and the movie/ovas. Again, we don't have any concrete info to share at this time, but want to throw that tidbit out there so you aware of it.
-- Will there be a standard edition release of both parts?
Yes there will be! But we don't any information to share at this time about those though.
And that wraps up this preview of our upcoming Gundam 00 releases! We hop you're looking forward to them! Pre-order your copy of Part 1 today!
Signing out~!
Jeremy
Redline
By Jonathan Clements.
It’s all over for the good-hearted racer boy JP when his souped-up Trans Am crashes at the finish of the illegal Yellowline contest on planet Dorothy. Meanwhile his double-crossing colleague Frisbee is merrily counting the cash from an evil interstellar syndicate that has rigged the race.
The next race – the highly illegal, immensely prestigious Redline – is held only once every five years, and this time is scheduled to cross the face of Roboworld: a deeply private, heavily armed fascist dictatorship. Roboworld’s Supreme Leader is determined to teach the racers a lesson by killing them all, preferably, before the cameras of the galaxy’s media outlets descend on Roboworld and take pictures of all his super-weapons, cyborg armies and doomsday devices. The sheer risk is too much for several fellow racers, whose withdrawal from the competition puts JP back onto the starting grid, so long as he is prepared to cheat death in a race against killer opponents and enemy soldiers.
Takeshi Koike’s Redline plays as if it is the finale of a massive series that unites multiple unrelated genres in the anime world: one participant is a fairy princess; another seems to have escaped from a beat-em-up arcade game; still another is a machine-man who is literally plugged into his vehicle. But our hero’s nickname is “Sweet JP”, a sneering epithet hurled at him by the others because he’s too fair-minded to use landmines, rocket-propelled grenades or tactical nukes just to win a race. Nice guys finish last, which is why the odds on JP are a mouth-watering 25,000 to one. The result is sheer mayhem, as if the cast of Top Gear raced through minefields on the North Korean border, or the cast of the Cannonball Run took on Darth Vader. Continue Reading
The Relative Worlds
By Jeremy Clarke.
Teenage romance, parallel worlds and dysfunctional families are the main ingredients of The Relative Worlds, Yuhei Sakuragi’s uneasy cross between a mawkish teenage romance boy and a sci-fi action picture in the James Cameron mould. The romantic, emotional parts are gentle and almost hesitant. The science fiction, fantasy and action parts are fast, full on and frantic – and indeed in places quite hard to keep up with. The dysfunctional families are more a background plot device than anything else. That said, if you’re prepared to get on its wavelength (or wavelengths, plural) it’s an enjoyable enough romp, with action that looks great on a big screen. Continue Reading
Eureka Seven Hi-Evolution: Anemone
By Andy Hanley.
Reimagining a TV anime series – particularly one that’s well over a decade old – as a series of new films can be a tricky business. Do you retool the story and its depiction to cater to a new generation of fans? Or do you staunchly give the existing fans of the franchise everything that they want, at the risk of alienating new viewers? Or perhaps you do both and run the risk of pleasing nobody at all.
This dilemma is very much at the forefront of Eureka Seven’s journey to the big screen. Having found television success in the mid-2000s, which was followed by an all-new theatrical outing and TV spin-off series that failed to recapture that initial magic, it was back to the cinema director Tomoki Kyoda went for a new trilogy of movies. Subtitled “Hi-Evolution”, its title serves as an acknowledgment of a desire to evolve its already all-encompassing tale of love and growing up in the face of a cataclysmic climate disaster in new directions. Continue Reading