Source: SRS Cinema LLC
Special Thanks to Avery Guerra

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

WAR OF THE GOD MONSTERS art by Stefan Motmans. Image
courtesy of SRS Cinema LLC.

SRS Cinema has revealed a new trailer for the 1984 Korean movie WAR OF THE GOD MONSTERS that was released in its native country as THE UNDEAD BEAST (비천괴수, Bicheongoesu) and marketed internationally as THE FLYING MONSTER (飛天怪獸, Hiten Kaiju). The distributor will bring the movie to North America for the first time in early 2021.

In WAR OF THE GOD MONSTERS, a young reporter named Kang Ok-hee is writing a story about the theories of Dr. Kim, a scientist who believes that dinosaurs still exist in the modern world. When gigantic creatures suddenly appear and cause massive destruction, the doctor and journalist must find a way to save the world.
Continued…

Source: Sentai press release
Official Site: laidbackers.com (Japan)

©おばけ屋／LAIDBACKERS製作委員会

Sentai announced today that it acquired home video and digital sell-through rights for LAIDBACKERS (レイドバッカーズ-, Reidobakkāzu-, 2019), Japan’s hilarious final theatrical anime of the Heisei era. Sentai will distribute the feature in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Latin America and the Netherlands.

Four former heroes are now living quiet, reincarnated lives in present day Kyoto, Japan. They bask in the warm contentment of being ordinary, modern folk without much important to do. But their idyllic lives are shattered when a precocious elementary schooler who is secretly a reincarnated demon king they once defeated shows up and starts making some serious demands! Now the former heroes must band together with their arch nemesis, because it’s do or die for team LAIDBACKERS!
Continued…

Photo courtesy of Kadokawa Pictures. © 2021 “Yakuza and the Family” Production Committee

Source: Kadokawa Pictures
Official Site: yakuzatokazoku.com (Japan)

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Kadokawa Pictures has provided information and photos from YAKUZA AND THE FAMILY (ヤクザと家族 The Family, Yakuza to Kazoku The Family). The movie is the latest entry from the director and producers of THE JOURNALIST (新聞記者, Shinbun Kisha, 2019), which won the Triple Crown at the 2020 Japan Academy Prize.
Continued…

Source: Arrow Video US, MVD Entertainment Group press release
Special Thanks to Clint Weiler

Blu-ray cover art, courtesy of MVD Entertainment.
©Myung Films

Arrow Video US and MVD Entertainment are offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win the new, extras-packed Blu-ray of JSA: JOINT SECURITY AREA (공동경비구역 JSA, Gongdong Gyeongbi Guyeok Jeieseuei, 2000), the award winning South Korean thriller from the director of OLDBOY.

Before OLDBOY, before THE HANDMAIDEN, visionary filmmaker Park Chan-wook helmed this gripping tale of deceit, misunderstanding and the senselessness of war. Gunfire breaks out in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, leaving two North Korean soldiers dead while a wounded South Korean soldier (Lee Byung-hun, THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD) flees to safety. With the tenuous peace between the two warring nations on a knife-edge, a neutral team of investigators, headed by Swiss Army Major Sophie Jean (Lee Young-ae, LADY VENGEANCE), is dispatched to question both sides to determine what really happened under cover of darkness out in no-man’s land.
Continued…

The Over-the-Top Action Epic Starring Action Icon Tak Sakaguchi Debuts Exclusively on Streaming Service Hi-YAH! February 12 Before Hitting Digital, Blu-ray & DVD March 2
Source: Well Go USA, ddPR press release
Official Site: wiiber.com (Japan), wellgousa.com/films/crazy-samurai-400-vs-1 (US)
Special Thanks to Leif Helland
#CrazySamurai

Image courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment. © 2020
CRAZY SAMURAI MUSASHI FILM PARTNERS

Leading Japanese martial arts icon Tak Sakaguchi (VERSUS, RISE OF THE MACHINE GIRL) stars in the groundbreakingly innovative action epic CRAZY SAMURAI: 400 vs. 1 (狂武蔵, Kyō Musashi, 2020), which will debut exclusively on the martial arts streaming service Hi-YAH! on February 12, before hitting Digital, Blu-ray and DVD March 2 from Well Go USA Entertainment. The highlight of this extraordinary film is a 77-minute action sequence shot in one continuous take, a “marathon battle [that] rivals any ever filmed” (Forbes).

Director Yuji Shimomura (DEATH TRANCE, RE: BORN) has crafted an epic achievement in action choreography around Sakaguchi, who plays Japan’s most legendary swordsman — Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645), a warrior undefeated in at least 60 documented duels — as he takes on his most difficult battle.
Continued…

The anime feature film PRETTY GUARDIAN SAILOR MOON ETERNAL THE MOVIE Part 2 comes to Japanese cinemas February 11.
Image courtesy of Toei Co., Ltd. ©Naoko Takeuchi/PNP/Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal the Movie Production Committee

Source: Toei Co., Ltd.
Official Site: sailormoon-movie.jp (Japan)
Official Twitter: @sailor_movie

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Toei has provided information and large, high-res images from PRETTY GUARDIAN SAILOR MOON ETERNAL THE MOVIE Part 2 (劇場版「美少女戦士セーラームーンEternal」《後編》, Gekijō-ban Bishōjo Senshi Sērā Mūn Eternal “Kohen”), based on Naoko Takeuchi’s internationally popular girls’manga series, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon.
Continued…

Image courtesy of Shochiku. ©2020 Kozue Amano/MAG Garden・ARIAcompany All Rights Reserved

Source: Shochiku Co., Ltd.
Official Site: ariacompany.net (Japan)
Official Twitter: @ARIA_SENDEN

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Distributor Shochiku Co., Ltd. has provided SciFi Japan with information and large images from ARIA THE CREPUSCOLO, the second feature film from the smash hit manga and anime series.
Continued…

Source: Tsuburaya Productions
Official Site: tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/ucz
Streaming Site: ULTRAMAN OFFICIAL
Official Twitter: twitter.com/tsuburayaprod

Key art courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ©TSUBURAYA
PRODUCTIONS.

Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. has has announced that their new television series, ULTRAMAN CHRONICLE Z: HEROES’ ODYSSEY (ウルトラマン クロニクルＺ　ヒーローズオデッセイ, Urutoraman Kuronikuru Z Hīrōzu Odessei), will be streamed worldwide on the ULTRAMAN OFFICIAL YouTube channel starting this Saturday at 9:30am (JST). Much like the recently ended YouTube run of ULTRAMAN Z (ZETT) 『ウルトラマンＺ(ゼット), Urutoraman Z (Zetto), 2020』, ULTRAMAN CHRONICLE Z will be shown with optional English subtitles.

The show will use footage from previous shows and movies, mixed with new content, to recap the adventures of both Ultraman Tiga and Ultraman Z. Connecting the different world views of these heroes is Ultraman Zero (voiced by Mamoru Miyano), the son of Ultraseven, disciple of Ultraman Leo, and recently the master of Z.
Continued…

Contents of the Limited Edition SteelBook. Photo courtesy of Arrow Films. ©2003 Show East

Source: Arrow Films
Special Thanks to James Flower

Often cited as one of the best films of the 2000s and possibly the definitive example of extreme Asian cinema, OLDBOY (올드보이, Oldeuboi, 2003) is a brutal, lyrical modern classic of the revenge genre.

Directed with immense flair by Park Chan-wook (JSA, THE HANDMAIDEN) as the second installment of his Vengeance Trilogy, OLDBOY blazed a trail at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival where it was lauded by the President of the Jury, director Quentin Tarantino. The film went on to become a huge international smash, blowing audiences’ minds with its concoction of filmmaking virtuosity, ingenious plotting, violence and pathos. Now, this masterpiece has been restored in 4K and is presented here with the feature-length documentary OLD DAYS, and a massive array of extras.
Continued…

VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE’s Maaya Sakamoto will release a new album this March. Photo courtesy of FlyingDog, Inc.
©2021 Maaya Sakamoto/JVCKenwood Victor Entertainment. All Rights Reserved

Source: FlyingDog, Inc. Qdopp Media Relations press release

Maaya Sakamoto’s 4th concept album “Duets” (坂本　真綾 4thコンセプトアルバム　Duets) will be released on March 17. This will be her second album to commemorate her 25th anniversary year and her first-ever duet album.
Continued…

Key art for the new movie GINTAMA THE FINAL. Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures Japan. © Hideaki Sorachi / GINTAMA the Movie

Source: Warner Bros. Japan
Official Site: warnerbros.co.jp/gintamamovie (Japan)

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Warner Bros. Pictures Japan has provided information and images from the new anime film, GINTAMA THE FINAL (銀魂 THE FINAL). The movie is based on the incredibly popular action comedy manga series Gintama, created by Hideaki Sorachi and originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. The collected editions of the manga have sold more than 55 million volumes.
Continued…

From the Debauched Mind of Exploitation Legend Teruo Ishii, an Anthology of Taboo Delights and Horrors!
Source: Arrow Films, MVD Entertainment Group
Special Thanks to James Flower and Clint Weiler

Image courtesy of MVD Entertainment. © 1968 Toei Co., Ltd.

From the outrageous imagination of cult director Teruo Ishii (ORGIES OF EDO, HORRORS OF MALFORMED MEN) comes SHOGUN’S JOY OF TORTURE (徳川女刑罰史, Tokugawa Onna Keibatsu-shi, 1968), the infamous omnibus of three shocking tales of crime and punishment based on true-life documented cases set during the reign of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Ishii’s notorious portmanteau of Edo-era excess signaled a change in direction for a director until then regarded for his crime and yakuza films, setting the ball rolling on the run of grotesque historical anthologies for which he is now best remembered. Vehemently denounced by the critics of the day, SHOGUN’S JOY OF TORTURE set a new benchmark for the depiction of sex, sadism and depravity in Japanese exploitation, with Ishii staging his elaborate torture methods with an unmatched verve and inventiveness.
Continued…

Source: MVD Entertainment Group
Special Thanks to Clint Weiler

KONGA TNT DVD cover art. Photo courtesy of MVD Ent.
©Gray Chance Films

On March 16, SRS Cinema and distributor MVD Entertainment present the independent monster movie KONGA TNT (2020) from director Brett Kelly (ATTACK OF THE JURASSIC SHARK). KONGA TNT is an experimental movie project made while in isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kelly took unused footage from previous movies and combined it with new footage shot by himself and actor/FX artist John Migliore along with writer Trevor Payer.

After becoming injected with a formula derived from an alien ship, a lab gorilla escapes from his containment and befriends two young boys. The alien formula causes the gorilla to grow to gargantuan size and rampage throughout the city and the boys must find a way to save their simian friend before the army takes him down.
Continued…

Source: Mill Creek Entertainment
Special Thanks to Barrett Evans and Noah Sawyer

Photo courtesy of Mill Creek. © TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS

SciFi Japan is kicking off the New Year with a great new contest! Mill Creek Entertainment is offering our readers a chance to win their new Blu-ray + Digital set of Tsuburaya Productions’ ULTRAMAN TARO (ウルトラマンタロウ, Urutoraman Tarō, 1973-74). The set contains stunning high definition video for all 53 half-hour episodes with DTS-HD Master Audio of the original Japanese soundtrack with English subtitles.

In this sixth entry in the Ultraman series, young boxer Kotaro Higashi is severely injured during a Kaiju attack shortly after being scouted to the Earth defense team ZAT (Zariba of All Territory). At the chasm between life and death, Mother of Ultra appeared and saved Kotaro by merging his life with a young Ultra Hero, thus giving birth to the sixth Ultra Brother… Ultraman Taro!
Continued…

One People, Two Countries, Every Life on Earth at Stake
Source: Arrow Films, MVD Entertainment Group
Special Thanks to James Flower and Clint Weiler

Blu-ray cover art, courtesy of MVD Entertainment. ©Myung Films

On January 19, Arrow Video will release a deluxe Blu-ray edition of JSA: JOINT SECURITY AREA (공동경비구역 JSA, Gongdong Gyeongbi Guyeok Jeieseuei, 2000), the award winning South Korean thriller from the director of OLDBOY.

Before OLDBOY, before THE HANDMAIDEN, visionary filmmaker Park Chan-wook helmed this gripping tale of deceit, misunderstanding and the senselessness of war. Gunfire breaks out in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, leaving two North Korean soldiers dead while a wounded South Korean soldier (Lee Byung-hun, THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD) flees to safety. With the tenuous peace between the two warring nations on a knife-edge, a neutral team of investigators, headed by Swiss Army Major Sophie Jean (Lee Young-ae, LADY VENGEANCE), is dispatched to question both sides to determine what really happened under cover of darkness out in no-man’s land.
Continued…

Source: Sentai press release
Official Site: nonnontv.com/tvanime (Japan)

©2021 Atto・KADOKAWA Publishing / Asahigaoka
Project III

Sentai announced today that it acquired exclusive rights to NON NON BIYORI NONSTOP (のんのんびより のんすとっぷ, Non Non Biyori Non Sutotsupu, 2021), the highly anticipated third season of the charming slice-of-life anime series NON NON BIYORI. Since its premiere, NON NON BIYORI swelled the hearts of anime fans with endearing characters, engaging storylines and laugh out loud moments. Sentai’s licensed territory includes the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Aland Islands, Portugal, Spain and Latin America.

The cast and main creative team from the earlier installments of NON NON BIYORI teamed up again for NON NON BIYORI NONSTOP! Now fans can rejoin Renge, Natsumi, Komari and former big-city-girl Hotaru as they experience an idyllic life in the Japanese countryside. Fresh excitement brews as someone new moves into the house next door. The students of the tiny, tight-knit Asahigaoka branch school will have to make this newcomer feel welcome, which means audiences are in for more of this series’ signature antics and heartwarming, human moments in the third season of NON NON BIYORI!
Continued…

The opening and ending theme songs of ARIA THE CREPUSCOLO will be released in two formats: The ARIA version and the KIYONO version.
Photos courtesy of FlyingDog, Inc. ©2020 Kozue Amano/MAG Garden・ARIAcompany All Rights Reserved

Source: FlyingDog, Inc. Qdopp Media Relations press release
Official Anime Site: ariacompany.net (Japan)

Kiyono Yasuno’s long-awaited third single will consist of “Felicità” and “Echoes”, the opening and ending theme songs of the anime feature film ARIA THE CREPUSCOLO, which will open in Japanese cinemas in spring 2021. Kiyono will also be voicing Aletta, one of the new characters in the movie. This single will be released in two formats: The ARIA version, which will feature cover art drawn by ARIA character designer Yoko Ito, and the KIYONO version, which will feature a photo of Kiyono Yasuno. The third track for each version will be a newly recorded acoustic version of a previously released song.
Continued…

Source: Sentai press release
Official Site: kaiyari.com (Japan)

©2021 Rui Tsukiyo / KADOKAWA / Redo of Healer Production
Committee

Sentai announced today that it acquired exclusive rights to REDO OF HEALER (回復術士のやり直し 〜即死魔法とスキルコピーの超越ヒール〜, Kaifuku Jutsushi no Yarinaoshi: Sokushi Mahō to Sukiru Kopī no Chōetsu Hīru, 2021), the dark fantasy anime series based on the light novel series written by Rui Tsukiyo. Sentai’s licensed territories include the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Greenland, Faroe and Åland Islands, Scandinavia, Spain, Portugal and Latin America.

In a dark world of monsters, adventurers and mages, some of the most gifted healers are subjugated to brute force even by the hands of their compatriots. But one mage, Kayal, gains the ability to rewind time, turn the tables and right all wrongs.
Continued…

The sea monsters Ikara, Takkora and Kanira tear through Tokyo in MONSTER SEAFOOD WARS, the new daikaiju film coming to home media
in North America from SRS Cinema. Photo courtesy of Avery Guerra. ©2019 Monster Seafood Wars Production Committee

Source: SRS Cinema LLC
Official Site: sandaikaijyu.pal-ep.com (Japan)
Special Thanks to Avery Guerra

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Distributor SRS Cinema has licensed North American home media rights to the 2020 daikaiju movie MONSTER SEAFOOD WARS (三大怪獣グルメ, San Daikaijū Gurume). Preorders are scheduled to begin in February for Blu-ray and VHS Special Editions which will ship in early 2021.
Continued…

New enemies and new thrills await the mysterious warrior beyond the stars
Source: Marvel Entertainment press release
Special Thanks to Anthony Blackwood

Ultraman is attacked underwater by the Oil Monster
Pestar on Arthur Adams’ cover for The Trials of
Ultraman #1. Image courtesy of Marvel.
© TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS

Earlier this year, Marvel Comics collaborated with Tsuburaya Productions to bring readers The Rise of Ultraman, a thrilling comic series that introduced the pop culture icon to new fans and delighted longtime Ultraman enthusiasts. Following this soaring debut, the Ultraman saga will continue this March in The Trials of Ultraman. The all-star team behind The Rise of Ultraman, writers Kyle Higgins and Mat Groom and artist Francesco Manna, return to continue to explore the fascinating Ultraman mythos.

The Rise is over. The training wheels are off, and the stakes have never been higher. The Trials of Ultraman begin here!
Continued…

Global Streaming Partners Revealed for Highly Anticipated New Season of the Sci-Fi Action Series
Source: Toei Animation Inc. press release
Official Site: worldtrigger.info (Japan)
Special Thanks to Scott Barretto

Image courtesy of Toei Animation. ©Daisuke Ashihara/
Shueisha, Toei Animation

Christmas came early for anime fans with today’s announcement from Toei Animation Inc. that the eagerly awaited Season Two of WORLD TRIGGER will stream on the leading streaming platforms Crunchyroll and Anime Digital Network in France. Leveraging their collective presence, WORLD TRIGGER Season 2 will be accessible to anime fans around the globe. In addition, Toei Animation also revealed that Season 2 will launch as a simultaneous premiere with Japan on Saturday, January 9, 2021. WORLD TRIGGER Season 2 will be on several streaming services with a shared simulcast window. All subtitled episodes will stream day and date with the TV broadcast in Japan. Adding to the anticipation for the upcoming premiere of WORLD TRIGGER Season 2, this past weekend Toei Animations in Japan surprised fans with confirmation that it will be producing an exciting third season of the sci-fi action series.

“We’re excited to partner with Crunchyroll and Anime Digital Network to bring WORLD TRIGGER Season 2 to fans on their streaming services,” said Masayuki Endo, president and CEO Toei Animation Inc. “We’re thrilled the new season is accessible to fans around the world and look forward to the simultaneous premiere of Season 2 together with Japan on January 9.”
Continued…

Source: Sentai press release
Official Site: mujina-company.com (Japan)

© Ranjo Miyake・KADOKAWA/Twin Engine

Sentai announced today that it acquired CUTE EXECUTIVE OFFICER (幼女社長, 2021), the delightful short-format anime comedy series based on the manga Youjo Shacho. Sentai will deliver the series to audiences in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain and Portugal.

She’s not a genius. She’s not a prodigy. Heck, she’s not even old enough to vote! But somehow Najimu Mujina scored a totally above-average job as the president and “CEO” of the Mujina Company, where she navigates the world of adults with infectious, bright-eyed charm and enthusiasm. Whether it’s golfing with colleagues, negotiating contracts or pestering her executive assistant, Yuki, her hilarious antics are sure to captivate audiences of all ages.
Continued…

SUPER SENTAI MOVIE RANGER 2021 will feature three Super Sentai films. Photo courtesy of Toei Co., Ltd. ©Superhero Project ©TV Asahi · Toei AG · Toei

Source: Toei Co., Ltd.
Official Site: TBA (Japan)

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Toei Co., Ltd. has provided SciFi Japan with promotional art and information for SUPER SENTAI MOVIE RANGER 2021 (スーパー戦隊MOVIEレンジャー2021, Sūpā Sentai Mūbī Renjā 2021), the next entry in their “Super Sentai Movie Party” series. The film will be released in Japanese theaters in February 2021.
Continued…

Source: Well Go USA, ddPR press release
Official Site: jiang-ziya-2020 (US)
Special Thanks to Leif Helland

Image courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment. © 2019 Beijing
Enlight Pictures Co., Ltd.

JIANG ZIYA (姜子牙) — the acclaimed follow-up to the international blockbuster NE ZHA (哪吒之魔童降世, Nézhā zhī Mótóng Jiàngshì, 2019) and the second chapter in the magical Fengshen Cinematic Universe—is a fate-defying, action-packed legendary tale retold through vibrant Chinese animation and debuts on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD February 9 from Well Go USA Entertainment. To earn his place with the gods, commander Jiang Ziya must vanquish the fox demon behind a brutal clan war. Upon learning the creature’s fate is tied to that of a young girl, he faces an impossible choice: can he sacrifice one to save many?

JIANG ZIYA NVINCIBLE DRAGON debuts on Blu-ray (SLP: $29.98), Digital and DVD (SLP: $24.98) February 9, 2021 from Well Go USA Entertainment. The film has a runtime of approximately 110 minutes and is not rated.
Continued…

Source: Ultraman Galaxy, The Licensing Group Ltd
Official Site: modusgames.com/override-2-super-mech-league
Special Thanks to Carey Simon

© 2020 Modus Studios Brazil. Anime Ultraman ©TSUBURAYA
PRODUCTIONS ©Eiichi Shimizu, Tomohiro Shimoguchi ©ULTRAMAN
PRODUCTION CONSORTIUM

The competitive arena brawler OVERRIDE 2: SUPER MECH LEAGUE from Modus Games, a division of Maximum Games, features an official crossover with Anime ULTRAMAN. Fans looking to get their hands on this iconic character can preorder the OVERRIDE 2: SUPER MECH LEAGUE ULTRAMAN DELUXE EDITION or grab it on launch day, December 22nd on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 for $39.99 USD.

Developed by Modus’ in-house developer, Modus Studios Brazil, OVERRIDE 2: SUPER MECH LEAGUE is the follow-up to 2018’s hit competitive arena brawler featuring an array of super-powered mechs ready to battle it out until the end. The game supports local and online multiplayer for 2-4 players and is equally accessible for both casual and competitive fans.
Continued…

Rathalos from Screen Gems and Constantin Films MONSTER HUNTER. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment. © 2020 SONY PICTURES
DIGITAL PRODUCTIONS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. MOVIE © 2020 CONSTANTIN FILM PRODUKTION GMBH

Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment, Toho-Towa Co., Ltd.
Official Movie Site: monsterhunter.movie (US), monsterhunter-movie.jp (Japan)

Sony Pictures’ MONSTER HUNTER is now playing in theaters worldwide. The fantasy action movie is written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (RESIDENT EVIL film series) and based on the global video game series phenomenon MONSTER HUNTER (モンスターハンター, Monsutā Hantā) by Capcom.
Continued…

Source: Shout! Factory press release
Special Thanks to Tom Chen

Photo courtesy of Shout! Factory. © Fuji Television Network,
Inc.

Every drink has a story, and every story has a drink to accompany it. Hidden in the Ginza district’s back alleys in Tokyo, we find Eden Hall, an intimate bar run by Ryuu Sasakura, the bartender prodigy known to mix the most incredible cocktails anyone has ever tasted. However, not anyone can find Eden Hall, but it must find you! Anime series BARTENDER (バーテンダー, Bātendā), based on the best-selling Japanese manga of the same name by Araki Joh and illustrated by Kenji Nagatomo, is a charming and heartfelt anthology series that brims with captivating slice-of-life narratives and scrumptious-looking anime. Since its initial debut in 2006, BARTENDER developed a worldwide cult following. This acclaimed series was directed by Masaki Watanabe (BATTLE SPIRITS, BAKUMATSU, KADO – THE RIGHT ANSWER), written by Yasuhiro Imagawa (GIANT ROBO THE ANIMATION) and produced by Palm Studios.

Celebrating the 15th Anniversary of this highly sought-after pop culture series, Shout! Factory, in collaboration with Anime Limited, is proud to present BARTENDER 15th Anniversary Collector’s Edition on national home entertainment shelves and digital on January 19, 2021.
Continued…

Source: Arrow Films, MVD Entertainment Group
Special Thanks to James Flower and Clint Weiler

Blu-ray cover art, courtesy of MVD Entertainment. © KADOKAWA

In March 2021, Arrow Video will release a Blu-ray double feature of THE INVISIBLE MAN APPEARS (透明人間現わる, Tōmei Ningen Arawaru, 1949) and THE INVISIBLE MAN VS. THE HUMAN FLY (透明人間と蝿男, Tōmei Ningen to Hae Otoko, 1957). Finally released outside Japan for the very first time, these unique riffs on H.G. Wells’ classic character (though undoubtedly also indebted to Universal’s iconic film series) are two of the earliest examples of tokusatsu (special effects) cinema from Daiei Studios, later the home of Gamera.

In THE INVISIBLE MAN APPEARS, written and directed by Nobuo Adachi in 1949, a scientist successfully creates an invisibility serum, only to be kidnapped by a gang of thugs who wish to use the formula to rob a priceless jewel. In addition to being the earliest surviving Japanese science fiction film ever made, the film’s entertaining special effects were an early credit for the legendary Eiji Tsuburaya (ULTRAMAN), five years before he first brought Godzilla to life.

Eight years later, Mitsuo Murayama’s exciting THE INVISIBLE MAN VS. THE HUMAN FLY tells the story of a series of mysterious murders where the only clue is strange buzzing noise at the scene of the crime.
Continued…

Photo courtesy of Toho. ©2020 “Confidence Man JP” Production Committee

Source: Toho Co., Ltd., Pony Canyon
Official Site: confidenceman-movie.com (Japan)

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Toho Co., Ltd. and Pony Canyon have provided SciFi Japan with press notes and high-res photos from THE CONFIDENCE MAN JP -EPISODE OF THE PRINCESS- (コンフィデンスマンJP　プリンセス編, Konfidensuman JP Purinsesu-hen). The movie was originally scheduled to open in Japan on May 1, 2020 but was delayed to July 23 due to the pandemic. It is now being offered for international distribution by Pony Canyon.
Continued…

Photos courtesy of Shout! Factory. THE CAT RETURNS ©2002 Nekonote-Do • GNDHMT. WHISPER OF THE HEART ©1995 Aoi Hiiragi / Shueisha • Studio Ghibli • NH

Source: Shout! Factory press release
Special Thanks to Sarah J. De Bruin

Studio Ghibli and GKIDS, with distribution by Shout! Factory, will release THE CAT RETURNS and WHISPER OF THE HEART, from the famed Studio Ghibli library of films, on March 16, 2021 in limited edition SteelBook packaging with striking new art. Each SteelBook will house a Blu-ray & DVD combo pack, presenting the film alongside hours of bonus features and a booklet with stunning art and statements from the filmmakers.
Continued…