With Dada Chen at NYAFF 2013

With Dada Chen at NYAFF 2013
With Dada Chen at NYAFF 2013

Thursday, May 01, 2014

Section23 Films announces its August 2014 slate of releases


Home video distributor Section23 Films has announced its August slate of releases; including Sentai Filmworks newest acquisition: Short Peace which includes the 86th Academy Award® nominated Best Animated Short Film Possessions.

Product details in order of release:

Title:                 SHORT PEACE COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by:  Section23 Films
Run Time:         68 min.
Street Date:      8/5/2014
Format:             DVD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $24.98

SYNOPSIS:  In 1995, Katsuhiro Otomo's epic anthology MEMORIES showcased the work of upcoming superstars of the anime world.  Now, Otomo's spotlight shifts to a fresh generation of master creators with an all-new anthology of visionary films:  A lone traveler is confronted by unusual spirits in an abandoned shrine in the 2013 Academy Award® nominated POSSESSIONS (TSUKUMO), directed by Shuhei Morita (COICENT, KAKURENBO).   A mysterious white bear defends the royal family from the predations of a red demon in the brutal GAMBO, directed by Hiroaki Ando (FIVE NUMBERS!) from REDLINE's Katsuhito Ishii's original story with character designs by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (NEON GENESIS EVANGELION).  The focus shifts from supernatural to science fiction for the action packed A FAREWELL TO WEAPONS (BUKI YO SARABA), as MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM designer Hajime Katoki helms Otomo's tour-de-force saga of men battling robotic tanks in apocalyptic Tokyo, while grandmaster Otomo himself assumes the directorial reigns for a spectacular tale of love, honor and firefighting in ancient Japan with the multi-award winning COMBUSTIBLE (HI-NO-YOUJIN).  Prepare your senses for the animated films that are taking the critical world by storm as a new era in anime is ushered in with Katsuhiro Otomo's SHORT PEACE!


Title:                 SHORT PEACE COMPLETE COLLECTION BLU-RAY
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by:  Section23 Films
Run Time:         68 min.
Street Date:      8/5/2014
Format:             BD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $29.98

SYNOPSIS:  In 1995, Katsuhiro Otomo's epic anthology MEMORIES showcased the work of upcoming superstars of the anime world.  Now, Otomo's spotlight shifts to a fresh generation of master creators with an all-new anthology of visionary films:  A lone traveler is confronted by unusual spirits in an abandoned shrine in the 2013 Academy Award® nominated POSSESSIONS (TSUKUMO), directed by Shuhei Morita (COICENT, KAKURENBO).   A mysterious white bear defends the royal family from the predations of a red demon in the brutal GAMBO, directed by Hiroaki Ando (FIVE NUMBERS!) from REDLINE's Katsuhito Ishii's original story with character designs by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (NEON GENESIS EVANGELION).  The focus shifts from supernatural to science fiction for the action packed A FAREWELL TO WEAPONS (BUKI YO SARABA), as MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM designer Hajime Katoki helms Otomo's tour-de-force saga of men battling robotic tanks in apocalyptic Tokyo, while grandmaster Otomo himself assumes the directorial reigns for a spectacular tale of love, honor and firefighting in ancient Japan with the multi-award winning COMBUSTIBLE (HI-NO-YOUJIN).  Prepare your senses for the animated films that are taking the critical world by storm as a new era in anime is ushered in with Katsuhiro Otomo's SHORT PEACE!


Title:                 LOVE LAB COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by:  Section23 Films
Run Time:         325 min.
Street Date:      8/5/2014
Format:             DVD
Language:         Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $49.98

SYNOPSIS: Perhaps it was from the shock of discovering her school's most respected girl kissing a life-size huggie doll, but in those first awkward moments Riko Kurahashi said something she wishes she hadn't.  Not only did student council president Natsuo Maki completely swallow Riko's glib fib about being, "popular with the boys," she drafted Riko as her aide and advisor in love and romance! It would have been bad enough if Natsuo only wanted advice, but Fujisaki Girls Academy's most brilliant student is also the most obsessive, and simply talking about the opposite sex isn't sufficient.  No, Natsuo postulates hypothetical scenarios and "researches" them in her secret Love Lab!  And since interaction with boys is banned at Fujisaki, guess who has to help act those fantasies out?  As other girls join the Love Lab, Riko's role as the group's love-master becomes even worse!   Because she ISN'T one!  Most boys don't even LIKE her, but how can she admit that without destroying the friendships she now cherishes?  Exposure looms and each new "experiment" brings Riko one step closer to total disaster as Love and Deception combine into the ultimate explosive mixture in the LOVE LAB!


Title:                 LOVE LAB COMPLETE COLLECTION BLU-RAY
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by:  Section23 Films
Run Time:         325 min.
Street Date:      8/5/2014
Format:             BD
Language:         Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $59.98

SYNOPSIS: Perhaps it was from the shock of discovering her school's most respected girl kissing a life-size huggie doll, but in those first awkward moments Riko Kurahashi said something she wishes she hadn't.  Not only did student council president Natsuo Maki completely swallow Riko's glib fib about being, "popular with the boys," she drafted Riko as her aide and advisor in love and romance! It would have been bad enough if Natsuo only wanted advice, but Fujisaki Girls Academy's most brilliant student is also the most obsessive, and simply talking about the opposite sex isn't sufficient.  No, Natsuo postulates hypothetical scenarios and "researches" them in her secret Love Lab!  And since interaction with boys is banned at Fujisaki, guess who has to help act those fantasies out?  As other girls join the Love Lab, Riko's role as the group's love-master becomes even worse!   Because she ISN'T one!  Most boys don't even LIKE her, but how can she admit that without destroying the friendships she now cherishes?  Exposure looms and each new "experiment" brings Riko one step closer to total disaster as Love and Deception combine into the ultimate explosive mixture in the LOVE LAB!


Title:                 YUYUSHIKI COMPLETE COLLECTION BLU-RAY
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by:  Section23 Films
Run Time:         300 min.
Street Date:      8/5/2014
Format:             BD
Language:         Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $59.98

SYNOPSIS: Everyone knows you can learn a lot on the internet, and some of it is even true.  But if you want to know what's REALLY going on and important, then there's just one place to go: the computer club!  Okay, so maybe it's not the club itself, but the three girls you're most likely to find there.  And maybe they do spend more time chatting about their social lives and debating things like the virtues of ketchup versus mayonnaise than they do learning about the ins and outs of a keyboard, but whatever they're up to, it's sure to put a smile on your face.  So come learn what the mysterious YuiYukari Formula is all about and join serious Yui, hyperactive Yuzuko and lovable but not quite in touch with reality Yukari as they experience life's ups, downs, surprises, and occasionally, the internet in YUYUSHIKI!


Title:                 FANTASISTA DOLL COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by:  Section23 Films
Run Time:         300 min.
Street Date:      8/12/2014
Format:             DVD
Language:         Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $49.98

SYNOPSIS: No one ever knows what life has waiting in the cards for them, but for Uzume Uno, the surprises aren't just in the cards but also in what comes out of them!  Through a strange quirk of fate, this typical junior high school student finds herself in possession of a mysterious deck of cards from which five magical girls known as the Fantasista Dolls materialize!  By playing the cards in different combinations, Uzume can equip the "Sistas" with an amazing variety of costumes and weapons.  Which is going to come in extremely handy, as a new danger that only the Dolls can stop is coming to threaten the Earth!  Will Uzume be able to deal with both the Dolls' odd demands AND the fate of mankind resting on her shoulders?  Or are the odds hopelessly stacked against her?  With the future of everyone she knows and loves riding on her, Uzume's going to have to learn how to play the hand she's been dealt pretty quickly, because while she may know when to hold them, folding them isn't going to be an option with the world at stake in FANTASISTA DOLL!




Title:                 FANTASISTA DOLL COMPLETE COLLECTION BLU-RAY
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by:  Section23 Films
Run Time:         300 min.
Street Date:      8/12/2014
Format:             BD
Language:         Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $59.98

SYNOPSIS: No one ever knows what life has waiting in the cards for them, but for Uzume Uno, the surprises aren't just in the cards but also in what comes out of them!  Through a strange quirk of fate, this typical junior high school student finds herself in possession of a mysterious deck of cards from which five magical girls known as the Fantasista Dolls materialize!  By playing the cards in different combinations, Uzume can equip the "Sistas" with an amazing variety of costumes and weapons.  Which is going to come in extremely handy, as a new danger that only the Dolls can stop is coming to threaten the Earth!  Will Uzume be able to deal with both the Dolls' odd demands AND the fate of mankind resting on her shoulders?  Or are the odds hopelessly stacked against her?  With the future of everyone she knows and loves riding on her, Uzume's going to have to learn how to play the hand she's been dealt pretty quickly, because while she may know when to hold them, folding them isn't going to be an option with the world at stake in FANTASISTA DOLL!


Title:                 FROM THE NEW WORLD COLLECTION 2
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by:  Section23 Films
Run Time:         300 min.
Street Date:      8/12/2014
Format:             DVD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $59.98

SYNOPSIS: Still reeling from the deaths of her friends and the revelations of the Ethics Committee's machinations, Saki returns to the village expecting the worst.  However, what she's learned so far barely touches on the edges of an even vaster conspiracy.  As she discovers the fate the committee intends for her personally, she realizes that her own mind is being turned against her.  With her memories of Shun fading, she and Satoru find themselves in a race to find Maria and Mamoru before the Committee condemns them to destruction.  But the clock is turning against them in more ways than one, as the smoldering conflicts between the rat colonies threatens to erupt into open warfare.  As pivotal pieces in a deadly endgame designed to wipe an entire species from the face of the planet, it's not going to be enough for Saki and Satoru to merely survive.  To lead the best laid plans of both rats and men astray, they'll have to uncover the final secrets to two hidden worlds and turn them against their makers in FROM THE NEW WORLD - COLLECTION TWO!


Title:                 FROM THE NEW WORLD COLLECTION 2 BLU-RAY
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by:  Section23 Films
Run Time:         300 min.
Street Date:      8/12/2014
Format:             BD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $69.98

SYNOPSIS: Still reeling from the deaths of her friends and the revelations of the Ethics Committee's machinations, Saki returns to the village expecting the worst.  However, what she's learned so far barely touches on the edges of an even vaster conspiracy.  As she discovers the fate the committee intends for her personally, she realizes that her own mind is being turned against her.  With her memories of Shun fading, she and Satoru find themselves in a race to find Maria and Mamoru before the Committee condemns them to destruction.  But the clock is turning against them in more ways than one, as the smoldering conflicts between the rat colonies threatens to erupt into open warfare.  As pivotal pieces in a deadly endgame designed to wipe an entire species from the face of the planet, it's not going to be enough for Saki and Satoru to merely survive.  To lead the best laid plans of both rats and men astray, they'll have to uncover the final secrets to two hidden worlds and turn them against their makers in FROM THE NEW WORLD - COLLECTION TWO!
   

Title:                 MAYO CHIKI COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by:  Section23 Films
Run Time:         325 min.
Street Date:      8/19/2014
Format:             DVD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $59.98

SYNOPSIS: The unfortunate answer goes by the name of Sakamachi Kinjiro, and he's got the worst case of gynophobia EVER!  Just one touch from a member of the fairer sex makes his nose bleed like a never-ending chocolate fountain.  So school's a bloody nightmare even before Kanade, the Principal's twisted daughter, realizes that Kinjiro's name contains the sounds "Chi" and "Kin" back to back.  Poor Chi-Kin.  But his troubles don't totally redline until a wrong turn in the men's room reveals that Subaru, the butler, should be in the ladies' room instead.  As if that weren't enough, Kinjiro's problems also include a haunted martial artist, a cat-eared fetishist, AND his own sister, who's interest in "wrestling" a certain incorrectly packaged butler may result in an unexpected ending!  The blood will flow, the punchlines will be below the belt and the butler will be cross-dressed to kill as Kinjiro goes stark-raving "Girl Crazy" in MAYO CHIKI!


Title:                 MAYO CHIKI COMPLETE COLLECTION BLU-RAY
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by:  Section23 Films
Run Time:         325 min.
Street Date:      8/19/2014
Format:             BD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $69.98

SYNOPSIS: The unfortunate answer goes by the name of Sakamachi Kinjiro, and he's got the worst case of gynophobia EVER!  Just one touch from a member of the fairer sex makes his nose bleed like a never-ending chocolate fountain.  So school's a bloody nightmare even before Kanade, the Principal's twisted daughter, realizes that Kinjiro's name contains the sounds "Chi" and "Kin" back to back.  Poor Chi-Kin.  But his troubles don't totally redline until a wrong turn in the men's room reveals that Subaru, the butler, should be in the ladies' room instead.  As if that weren't enough, Kinjiro's problems also include a haunted martial artist, a cat-eared fetishist, AND his own sister, who's interest in "wrestling" a certain incorrectly packaged butler may result in an unexpected ending!  The blood will flow, the punchlines will be below the belt and the butler will be cross-dressed to kill as Kinjiro goes stark-raving "Girl Crazy" in MAYO CHIKI!


Title:                 WATAMOTE COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by:  Section23 Films
Run Time:         300 min.
Street Date:      8/26/2014
Format:             DVD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $59.98

SYNOPSIS: At the tender age of 15, Kuroki Tomoko has already dated dozens and dozens of boys and she's easily the most popular girl around!  The only problem is that absolutely none of that is real, and her perfect world exists only via dating games and romance shows.  In fact, the sad truth is that she gets tongue tied just talking to people, and throughout middle school she's only had one actual friend.  All of which makes Kuroki's entrance into the social pressure cooker of high school a new and special kind of hell.  Because while Kuroki desperately wants to be popular, she's actually worse off than she would be if she was completely clueless as to how to go about it.  After all, the things that work in "otome" games rarely play out the same way in reality, especially when the self-appointed "leading lady" isn't the paragon she thinks she is.  There's not much gain and plenty of pain ahead, but even if it happens again and again, there's always someone else to blame in WATAMOTE ~ No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!


Title:                 WATAMOTE COMPLETE COLLECTION BLU-RAY
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by:  Section23 Films
Run Time:         300 min.
Street Date:      8/26/2014
Format:             BD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $69.98

SYNOPSIS: At the tender age of 15, Kuroki Tomoko has already dated dozens and dozens of boys and she's easily the most popular girl around!  The only problem is that absolutely none of that is real, and her perfect world exists only via dating games and romance shows.  In fact, the sad truth is that she gets tongue tied just talking to people, and throughout middle school she's only had one actual friend.  All of which makes Kuroki's entrance into the social pressure cooker of high school a new and special kind of hell.  Because while Kuroki desperately wants to be popular, she's actually worse off than she would be if she was completely clueless as to how to go about it.  After all, the things that work in "otome" games rarely play out the same way in reality, especially when the self-appointed "leading lady" isn't the paragon she thinks she is.  There's not much gain and plenty of pain ahead, but even if it happens again and again, there's always someone else to blame in WATAMOTE ~ No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!


Title:                 UTA NO PRINCE SAMA 2000% COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by:  Section23 Films
Run Time:         325 min.
Street Date:      8/26/2014
Format:             DVD
Language:         Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $49.98

SYNOPSIS: After the amazing high note that capped the first season, would it be fair to expect Haruka and her hunky harem of beautiful boy singers to be able to top themselves?  What if they had a little more help?  Yes, believe it or not, now there are even MORE gorgeous guys lining up for the attention of the song-mistress.  Fortunately, since she's moved into the dorms, Haruka's available for even more music making.  Only now StArish has some REAL competition, as the new golden throated warblers from the Senior Master Course make it their job to show the first six what it really takes to become a J-Pop star.  And what about that mysterious seventh member of StArish?  He's back as well in his own catty fashion!  But does he plan to take Haruka to fantasyland?  Will the boys get kicked to the street if they can't stay in sync?  And will Haruka stay composed and keep composing when the sophomore slump hits her writing?  Find out if everyone can learn to live (and sing) in harmony as the hits keep on coming in UTA NO PRINCE SAMA 2000%!


Title:                 UTA NO PRINCE SAMA 2000% COMPLETE COLLECTION BLU-RAY
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by:  Section23 Films
Run Time:         325 min.
Street Date:      8/26/2014
Format:             BD
Language:         Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $59.98

SYNOPSIS: After the amazing high note that capped the first season, would it be fair to expect Haruka and her hunky harem of beautiful boy singers to be able to top themselves?  What if they had a little more help?  Yes, believe it or not, now there are even MORE gorgeous guys lining up for the attention of the song-mistress.  Fortunately, since she's moved into the dorms, Haruka's available for even more music making.  Only now StArish has some REAL competition, as the new golden throated warblers from the Senior Master Course make it their job to show the first six what it really takes to become a J-Pop star.  And what about that mysterious seventh member of StArish?  He's back as well in his own catty fashion!  But does he plan to take Haruka to fantasyland?  Will the boys get kicked to the street if they can't stay in sync?  And will Haruka stay composed and keep composing when the sophomore slump hits her writing?  Find out if everyone can learn to live (and sing) in harmony as the hits keep on coming in UTA NO PRINCE SAMA 2000%!


Title:                 KINMOZA! COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by:  Section23 Films
Run Time:         300 min.
Street Date:      8/26/2014
Format:             DVD
Language:         Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $49.98

SYNOPSIS: The British are coming!  The British are coming!  Or to be precise, one VERY specific person from Great Britain is coming.  You see, when Shinobu Omiya was still in middle school, she had the amazing opportunity to study in England as an exchange student while living with a host family.  While that was several years ago and she still doesn't do all that well in English class, Shinobu has had warm feelings for everything English ever since.  So when Shinobu learns that the daughter of her host family, Alice Cartelet, is coming to stay with her and study in Japan, she's thrilled.  But will Alice be able to fit in with Shinobu's Japanese schoolfriends, Yoko and Aya?  And how will the arrival of Shinobu's old rival Karen, who's half-English and half-Japanese, affect the potential culture clash?  Every day is an adventure in international diplomacy and self discovery as a group of schoolgirls learn new lessons about each other and themselves in KINMOZA!


Title:                 KINMOZA! COMPLETE COLLECTION BLU-RAY
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by:  Section23 Films
Run Time:         300 min.
Street Date:      8/26/2014
Format:             BD
Language:         Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $59.98

SYNOPSIS: The British are coming!  The British are coming!  Or to be precise, one VERY specific person from Great Britain is coming.  You see, when Shinobu Omiya was still in middle school, she had the amazing opportunity to study in England as an exchange student while living with a host family.  While that was several years ago and she still doesn't do all that well in English class, Shinobu has had warm feelings for everything English ever since.  So when Shinobu learns that the daughter of her host family, Alice Cartelet, is coming to stay with her and study in Japan, she's thrilled.  But will Alice be able to fit in with Shinobu's Japanese schoolfriends, Yoko and Aya?  And how will the arrival of Shinobu's old rival Karen, who's half-English and half-Japanese, affect the potential culture clash?  Every day is an adventure in international diplomacy and self discovery as a group of schoolgirls learn new lessons about each other and themselves in KINMOZA!