Both Companies Partner to Deliver Japanese Anime IP to Worldwide Audiences Through Multilingual Simulcasts Source: Funimation press release Special Thanks to Scott Barretto Today at AnimeJapan 2019, Funimation, a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Television, the leader in sub and dub anime content, and Bilibili Inc., a leading online entertainment platform for young generations in China, jointly announced that the companies are partnering to acquire premium Japanese anime IP for global distribution. Gen Fukunaga, President and Chief Executive Officer of Funimation, and Carly Lee, Vice Chairman of the Board and Chief Operating Officer of Bilibili, made the announcement during a live presentation on the AJ Open Stage. Both parties will jointly acquire anime shows over the next few years. They will seek opportunities to draw upon IP rights in areas such as broadcast TV, VOD, EST, home entertainment, gaming and merchandising in both the U.S. and China, the

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Anime Feature Film Coming Fall 2019 Source: Funimation Films press release Special Thanks to Scott Barretto Today at a special Funimation C2E2 announcement panel, Japanese guests Fuminori Kizaki (director of AFRO SAMURAI), Toshiaki Obata (marketing producer of PSYCHO-PASS) and Shuzo John Shiota (President of Polygon Pictures) revealed plans for their new sci-fi feature film HUMAN LOST Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human, a masterpiece of Japanese literature, is re-imagined in this new film that will take audiences on a hyper-kinetic deep dive into human consciousness and emotion. HUMAN LOST will be distributed in the U.S. by Funimation Films in select theaters this fall. SYNOPSIS From the chief director of PSYCHO-PASS, director of AFRO SAMURAI, and the studio that brought you GODZILLA: PLANET OF THE MONSTERS. The year is 2036. A revolution in medical treatment has conquered death by means of internal nanomachines and the “Shell System”, yet only

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Celebrate BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS With Panels And Autograph Sessions At C2E2 Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Media heads to Chicago’s premier pop culture and comics convention, Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo for panels, signing sessions, and more. C2E2 2019 takes place March 22nd – 24th in the South Building at McCormick Place in downtown Chicago. VIZ Media celebrates all things BORUTO at this year’s C2E2. BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS voice actors Robbie Daymond (Mitsuki) and Cherami Leigh (Sarada) will participate on the VIZ Media and SHONEN JUMP panels, autograph sessions, and a livestreamed interview on C2E2’s Live Stage. More information on C2E2 is available at C2E2.com. Friday, March 22nd 1:30pm: Official VIZ

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Join VIZ Media And Special Guests At The Pacific Northwest’s Largest Pop Culture Convention Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Media hosts a weekend of panel events and autograph sessions at Emerald City Comic Con 2019, which takes place March 14th-17th at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, WA. This year at ECCC, VIZ Media welcomes special voice actor guests Amanda Miller of BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS (Boruto) and ONE-PUNCH MAN’s Zac Aguilar (Genos). Both Amanda Miller and Zac Aguilar will participate on VIZ Media panels as well as special signing sessions. Tickets and additional details for ECCC 2019 are available at emeraldcitycomiccon.com. Saturday, March 16th 5:15pm: Official VIZ Media Panel Room TCC L3-R3

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Source: Aniplex of America press release Official Site: kimetsu.com (Japan), demonslayer-anime.com (US) Special Thanks to Aiko Makino Aniplex of America is proud to present the U.S. premiere of the highly anticipated new series DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA (????, Kimetsu no Yaiba, 2019) at the Aratani Theatre in the historic Little Tokyo neighborhood of Los Angeles. Attendees will be the first in the U.S. to experience this thrilling new series produced by ufotable (FATE/STAY NIGHT [HEAVEN`S FEEL] trilogy, FATE/ZERO) set to premiere in April. The premiere event will be held on Sunday March 31, 2019 at 3 PM (PDT) and will feature a theatrical feature-length animation along with a special giveaway for those who attend. Tickets are priced at $10 each and will be available starting Friday, March 8th at DemonSlayerPremiere. DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO

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Source: Funimation Films press release Official Site: tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/fruits_basket (Japan), funimationfilms.com/movie/fruitsbasket (US) Special Thanks to Scott Barretto Funimation Films presents a special two-night premiere screening event for the highly anticipated, all-new series FRUITS BASKET (?????????, Fur?tsu Basuketto, 2019) in select U.S. cities on March 26 (English dub) & March 27 (English subtitles). Guests will enjoy the first two full episodes of FRUITS BASKET before the series’ scheduled television debut in Japan in April. Each ticketholder will receive an exclusive gift pack that includes a commemorative FRUITS BASKET 16 oz stadium cup, branded lanyard and set of three pinback badgers featuring the characters Yuki, Kyo and Tohru. Run-time, including special interview footage with Japanese and English voice actors, is 85 minutes. Advance tickets are available now at funimationfilms.com/movie/fruitsbasket. Synopsis

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Source: GKIDS Inc., Fathom Events press release Official Site: waka-okami.jp (Japan), OkkosInn.com (US) Special Thanks to Katherine Schwappach and Erik Stein GKIDS, the acclaimed distributor of multiple Academy Award-nominated animated features, and Fathom Events, continue their collaboration to bring treasured animated features to U.S. cinemas with OKKO`S INN (?????????, Waka Okami wa Sh?gakusei!, 2018). The latest feature from famed anime studio Madhouse and director Kitaro Kosaka, who was a key animator on numerous classic films at the venerable Studio Ghibli, OKKO`S INN seamlessly blends immersive, idyllic landscapes with storybook charm in a heartfelt journey about growing up and finding one’s way. The film OKKO`S INN follows Okko, who goes to live in the countryside with her grandmother, who runs a traditional Japanese inn built on top of an ancient spring said to have healing waters, after

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Exclusive Red Carpet Premiere for MADE IN ABYSS Compendium, Journey’s Dawn, to Take Place March 15 at L.A. LIVE in Addition to the Nationwide Screening Source: Sentai Filmworks press release Official Site: miabyss.com/movie01 (Japan), madeinabyssmovies.com (US) Special Thanks to Hannah Trum Sentai Filmworks and Kadokawa Pictures today announced that its first film in the two-part MADE IN ABYSS compendium, JOURNEY’S DAWN (???????? ???????, Meidoin’ Abisu Tabidachi no Yoake, 2019), will screen across hundreds of movie theater locations in the U.S. Heralded as an adventure that’s both hopeful and harrowing, JOURNEY’S DAWN will be shown in theaters on March 20 for the Japanese with English subtitled screening and March 25 for the English dub showing. The MADE IN ABYSS television series took audiences by surprise and garnered ecstatic reviews with its disarming facade that shrouded a dark masterpiece. Now, cinema

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Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Media and CineLife Entertainment proudly present the U.S. premiere of HUNTER X HUNTER: THE LAST MISSION (??? HUNTER×HUNTER -The LAST MISSION-, Gekij?-ban Hant? Hant? Za Rasuto Misshon, 2013) in a limited theatrical run. HUNTER X HUNTER’s second feature film premieres with special screenings in both subtitled and dubbed formats beginning this week on January 30th. A list of participating theater locations and ticket sales for all screening dates is available at cinelifeentertainment.com/event/hunter-x-hunter-the-last-mission. In HUNTER X HUNTER: THE LAST MISSION, the Battle Olympia tournament at Heaven’s Arena is about to begin! Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio plan on watching the matches along with the other Hunters and VIPs in attendance. As they wait, a raid by The

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Source: Aniplex of America press release Official Site: kimisui-anime.com (Japan), iwanttoeatyourpancreas.com, fathomevents.com/events/i-want-to-eat-your-pancreas (US) Special Thanks to Aiko Makino #PancreasAnime Aniplex of America and Fathom Events have teamed up with the National Pancreas Foundation for the release of the anime film I want to eat your pancreas (?????????, Kimi no Suiz? o Tabetai, 2018), which hits movie theaters nationwide on February 7 and 10. The heartwarming, coming-of-age film is based on Yoru Sumino’s bestselling novel about two teenagers, an aloof bookworm and a bubbly high school girl who suffers from an unspecified terminal pancreatic illness. The film, which comes to over 400 movie theaters across the U.S. in February, will be accompanied with a pre-show which includes information on the pancreas as well as services provided by the National Pancreas Foundation in hopes of raising awareness on a not

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Source: Sentai Filmworks press release Official Site: miabyss.com/movie01 (Japan), madeinabyssmovies.com (US) Sentai Filmworks today announced the US debut of the first film in the two-part MADE IN ABYSS compendium, JOURNEY`S DAWN (???????? ???????, Meidoin` Abisu Tabidachi no Yoake, 2019). The film’s premiere is set for March 15, 2019, at Regal Cinema (L.A. LIVE) in downtown Los Angeles, CA. The MADE IN ABYSS television series took audiences by surprise and garnered ecstatic reviews with its disarming facade that shrouded a dark masterpiece. Now, the timeless story is presented in theaters with newly added scenes and storytelling. Sentai Filmworks will host a red-carpet event coinciding with the premiere with numerous special guests including famed director Masayuki Kojima, composer Kevin Penkin, music producer Hiromitsu Iijima, and producer Shimpei Yamashita. “We are immensely proud to bring MADE IN ABYSS

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Fans flock to grab their tickets for the highly anticipated second chapter of Fate/stay night [Heaven’s Feel]! Source: Aniplex of America press release Official Site: fate-sn.com (Japan), fatestaynightusa.com (US) Special Thanks to Aiko Makino The North American premiere of Fate/stay night [Heaven`s Feel] THE MOVIE II. lost butterfly (????Fate/stay night[Heaven`s Feel] II. lost butterfly?, Gekij?-ban Fate/stay night[Heaven`s Feel] II. lost butterfly, 2019) on Saturday, February 23, 2019 has sold out less than four hours after tickets for both screenings went on sale at 11AM (PST) on January 17. The screenings will be held at Regal L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. As the latest installment of the action-packed film trilogy, II. lost butterfly follows Fate/stay night [Heaven`s Feel] THE MOVIE I. presage flower (??? ?Fate?stay night [Heaven’s Feel] I.presage flower?, Gekij?-ban Fate/stay night[Heaven`s Feel]

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For one day only, the second chapter of the trilogy unfolds with not one, but two screenings! Source: Aniplex of America press release Official Site: fate-sn.com (Japan), fatestaynightusa.com (US) Special Thanks to Aiko Makino Aniplex of America is proud to present the North America premiere of Fate/stay night [Heaven`s Feel] THE MOVIE II. lost butterfly (????Fate/stay night[Heaven`s Feel]?, Gekij?-ban Fate/stay night[Heaven`s Feel], 2019) on Saturday February 23, 2019 at the Regal L.A. LIVE located in downtown Los Angeles. Fans will have two chances to catch the film with an 11 AM (PST) and 2:30 PM (PST) screening, which will include a special giveaway and a yet to be announced special guest. Ticket sales for the Los Angeles premiere will begin January 17 at 11 AM (PST) on fatestaynightusa.com/ticket, followed by a nationwide release on March 14 distributed by

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12 Months of Exclusive Content Direct From Studios and Distributors! Author: Keith Aiken SciFi Japan is proud to remain the one and ONLY English language website devoted to Japanese fantasy films and TV that is officially press registered with all five major Japanese studios (Toho, Toei, Shochiku, Nikkatsu and Kadokawa), several Japanese production companies, plus their distributors and licensees. While other sites will run information and images taken from Japanese news sources and publications, SciFi Japan regularly posts content provided directly to us by the companies and people making and releasing Japanese movies, programs and merchandise. This allows us to present our readers with accurate, verified information rather than rumors and speculation, and also run larger and higher quality photos and artwork than can be found elsewhere. Thanks to all our writers, contributors, sources and readers for your support! Be sure to check

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Hit Japanese Mecha Anime Comes to Movie Theaters for One Night Source: Fathom Events press release Official Site: gundam-nt.net (Japan), fathomevents.com/gundam-nt (US) Following a successful run in its native Japan, the animated mecha film MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM NT (NARRATIVE) (??????????(?????), Kid? Senshi Gandamu Naratibu, 2018) is coming to the U.S. with a new English-language dub for one night in February. Produced by Sunrise Inc.’s 1st Studio, directed by Toshikazu Yoshizawa and written by Harutoshi Fukui (MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM UC), MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM NT is a new work in the Universal Century saga and depicts what lies beyond GUNDAM UC. As an exciting bonus to viewing the highly-anticipated feature, fans will get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look, PLUS the first 50 attendees at each cinema will receive a GUNDAM NT double-sided poster (quantities limited, first-come, first-served).

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HUNTER X HUNTER’s Second Feature Film To Screen In Select Theaters Across The U.S. Starting On January 30th; Tickets On Sale Now! Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Media, LLC, a premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing, announces the theatrical release of the second HUNTER X HUNTER film, HUNTER X HUNTER: THE LAST MISSION (??? HUNTER×HUNTER -The LAST MISSION-, Gekij?-ban Hant? Hant? Za Rasuto Misshon, 2013), with screenings beginning January 30th. A list of participating theater locations and advance ticket sales for all screening dates is available at (more theaters and screenings added daily) cinelifeentertainment.com/event/hunter-x-hunter-the-last-mission. Presented in partnership with CineLife Entertainment, the event cinema and alternative programming division of Spotlight Cinema

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Source: HIDIVE press release Official Site: neverland-anime.com (Japan), neverland-animeusa.com (US) HIDIVE announced that it acquired streaming rights to a new thrilling sci-fi adventure from animation studio CloverWorks (DARLING in the FRANXX, FAIRY TAIL: FINAL SERIES, RASCAL DOES NOT DREAM OF BUNNY GIRL SENPAI), THE PROMISED NEVERLAND (?????????, Yakusoku no Neb?rando, 2019), for audiences in the United States, Canada and other select territories. Fans can watch the premiere on Wednesday, January 9 at 15:00 UTC and catch new episodes every Thursday starting on January 17 at 17:25 UTC. The orphans of Grace Field House live a peaceful and happy life, filled with love and affection provided by their dear “Mom.” They know no hunger and receive a world-class education, all to prepare them for the day when caring foster parents come to adopt them. They only have to abide by one cardinal rule: never leave the orphanage. However,

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Fight your destiny in this world. Source: Aniplex of America press release Official Site: neverland-anime.com (Japan), neverland-animeusa.com (US) Special Thanks to Aiko Makino Aniplex of America has acquired the rights in North, Central, and South America for the supernatural thriller, THE PROMISED NEVERLAND (?????????, Yakusoku no Neb?rando, 2019), and released a new trailer revealing all of the streaming platforms the show will be available on. Based on the popular manga written by Kaiu Shirai with illustrations by Posuka Demizu, the anime has quickly become one of the most highly anticipated series debuting this season since the anime adaptation was first announced in Weekly Shonen Jump in May of 2018. The anime will be produced by animation studio CloverWorks (PERSONA5 THE ANIMATION, RASCAL DOES NOT DREAM OF BUNNY GIRL SENPAI) with Mamoru Kanbe (ELFEN LIED, THE PERFECT INSIDER) serving as the director for the series. Toshiya Ono

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Source: Sentai Filmworks press release Official Site: wz-anime.net (Japan) Sentai Filmworks has announced that it acquired distribution rights to W’Z (???, U~izu, 2019) for the United States, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Spain and Portugal. Inspired by house music from a young age, Yukiya spends his free time as a DJ for a crowd of one and uploads his videos online. Like any young teenager, he yearns for something greater than his current life. He wants recognition and importance, but breaking out of his comfort zone means he runs the risk of getting hurt, so the cycle continues. That is, until the day he crosses the line of no return and stumbles across a mysterious live broadcast that will change his world forever. The series stars Katsumi Fukuhara (HUG! PRETTY CURE, IN ANNOTHER WORLD WITH MY SMARTPHONE) as Yukiya,

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In romance, the first one to confess their love is the loser. Source: AniplexUSA press release Official Site: kaguya.love (Japan), kaguyasama-anime.com (US) Special Thanks to Aiko Makino Aniplex of America’s brand new romantic comedy, KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR (????????? ????????????, Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai - Tensai-tachi no Renai Zun?sen, 2019), has been confirmed to begin streaming on Hulu, Crunchyroll, and FunimationNow. The hilarious and quick-witted anime is based on Aka Akasaka’s manga series published in Shueisha’s Young Jump magazine. The manga is on its eleventh volume in Japan, amassed over 2.8 million copies and currently holds the title for the number one selling romantic comedy series currently still being serialized in a weekly manga magazine. The anime series will be produced by A-1 Pictures (SWORD ART ONLINE, BLUE EXORCIST) and has signed on RECORD OF GRANCREST WAR’s Mamoru Hatakeyama as director with Yuko Yahiro (HAIKYU!!, ATTACK ON

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