[UNBOXING] Momotaro, Sacred Sailors

One of things we love to do here at Anime Ltd. is give people the opportunity to be able to see films that they may not have necessarily had the chance to see otherwise. If you look through our catalogue of titles there are some wonderful yet very unique films. Today however is a very special example of that as we’re delighted to bring you an unboxing of our release of the first ever Japanese feature length animation, Momotaro, Sacred Sailors, which is due for release on 2nd April!

It’s a very special release with a lot of historical importance to it.

So before we show you what to expect from our release, here’s a quick introduction to the film itself.

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ABOUT MOMOTARO, SACRED SAILORS

Momotaro, Sacred Sailors played a major role in setting the stage fo the rise of anime and was Japan’s first feature-length animated film. A notable accomplishment for its time, the project was funded by the Navy Ministry of Japan during World War II.

This infamous 1945 black-and-white propaganda film that saw Japanese fairy tale hero Momotaro leads a squad of heroic animal soldiers against evil British demons, was funded to promote recruitment and Japan’s military agenda in the South Seas. Believed destroyed after Japan’s surrender, the film was rediscovered in a warehouse in 1983 and digitally restored from the sole surviving negative.

Along with another early masterpiece, Spider and Tulip, these films have been restored into HD so a whole new audience can see the milestones of the industry and historical artifacts from World War II.

You can watch a preview for the film below:

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Where can I buy it?

You can order it from the following retailers now –

Order at Amazon Order at Zavvi Order at Base Order at HMV Online Order at Anime-On-Line Order at All The Anime

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~ AllTheAnime Special Offer ~

In case you haven’t taken advantage of it, until tomorrow (Friday 23rd March) we’re having a special on Momotaro, Sacred Sailors! Visit the special offers section at our web shop for more details

Visit All The Anime Special Offer Section

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WHAT’S INSIDE? WHAT’S ON THE DISCS?

Our release comes packed in a rigid case showcasing the iconic art created for the film. Inside the case you will find a digipack to hold the two discs (1 x DVD + 1 x Blu-ray) and you’ll also find the full book Sacred Sailors: The Life and Work of Seo Mitsuyo written by Jonathan Clements (author of Anime: A History, co-author of the Anime Encyclopedia).

In the book Jonathan Clements traces the incredible life and career of the film-maker Seo Mitsuyo (1911-2010), and takes the reader on a scene-by-scene analysis of this classic film and its context, reception and legacy. This book acts as a perfect companion to fully understand the historical importance and circumstances surrounding the film.

On the discs themselves you will find:

• The main feature Momotaro, Sacred Sailors in Japanese with English subtitles.
• The short film The Spider and the Tulip in Japanese with English subtitles.

 

NOTE: There is no English audio option for either of these films, as no English language audio was ever produced. This is why the films are in Japanese with English subtitles only.

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WHAT DOES THE FINISHED PRODUCT LOOK LIKE?

And now photos of the finished product! You can click on the photos to enlarge them.

And now we’re going to show you some pictures from inside the book itself. It’s worth noting, in case you haven’t figure out from the very large page count – see the contents page photo below, there is a lot of information inside this book. So what we’ve done is taken an image showing the start of the text from various chapters. It’s a fascinating read and well worth your time.

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And that concludes this unboxing of Momotaro, Sacred Sailors! We hope you’re looking forward to adding this this very unique piece of animation history to your collection.

Signing out~!

Jeremy