Section23 Films has announced its September 2017 slate of releases

Home video distributor Section23 Films has announced its September slate of releases; including Sentai Filmworks’ Limited Edition Premium Box Set for the fan favorite, Chihayafuru!

Product details follow, in order of release.

Title: GOOD WITCH OF THE WEST COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by: Maiden Japan
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 325 min.
Street Date: 9/5/2017
Format: BD, DVD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $59.98, $49.98

SYNOPSIS: Firiel's life has always been a little unusual… after all, how many girls are raised by caretakers because their father spends all his time studying in a tower with his apprentice? But when Firiel goes to the Queen's Ball wearing a necklace that belonged to her mother, she makes a shocking discovery: she's a missing member of the royal family and a contender for the throne! Trapped between opposing factions and manipulative parties, Firiel finds her life in danger, and her best hope is to learn the queenly skills her rivals already know. Unfortunately, the place to do that is at the same school her bloodthirsty competition already attends! Things are looking Grimm indeed as the darker side of fairy tales is unleashed in THE GOOD WITCH OF THE WEST!


Title: CHIHAYAFURU SEASON 1
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 625 min.
Street Date: 9/12/2017
Format: BD, DVD COMBO
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $99.98, $79.98, $199.98

SYNOPSIS: Chihaya Ayase was a girl who never seemed to fit in. She never had much in common with the other kids, and her family was so obsessed with her older sister’s modeling career that, sometimes, it was like Chihaya wasn’t even there. Everything changes when transfer student Arata gets Chihaya interested in the world of competitive Karuta, a unique card-based game that requires lightning fast reflexes, an exceptional memory, and a keen ear. Chihaya is a natural, and she has the skills to take her to the very top. Suddenly, Chihaya has found her goal: to become the best player in Japan! It won’t be easy, but when a girl has a dream in her heart, nothing else matters in CHIHAYAFURU!


Title: SEX HYPNOTIST ZERO BLU-RAY
Published by: SoftCel Pictures
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 50 min.
Street Date: 9/12/2017
Format: BD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $19.98

SYNOPSIS: If you're a pretty girl and have to go to the school infirmary, you'd better watch out for Dr. Murakoshi Shinta. If that lecherous excuse for a physician is in charge, you might get a very thorough physical "examination" instead of just an aspirin or a bandage! Even if you don't remember anything strange happening, you're still not safe. While Murakoshi may not be a very good doctor, he IS an excellent hypnotist with a knack for putting the female student body under his spell. It'll be up to his various patients to start comparing "Doctor Notes" to see if they can figure out why they've all been feeling so strange lately… and why they all feel so oddly compelled to keep making return visits to SEX HYPNOTIST ZERO!


Title: TAMAKO LOVE STORY
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 85 min.
Street Date: 9/12/2017
Format: COMBO
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $39.98

SYNOPSIS: While everyone else is excited about high school finally coming to an end, Tamako has a sad realization: getting older means losing touch with friends as they drift off to new lives. While Tamako's friends all seem to have big plans and amazing dreams, Tamako's never thought beyond staying right where she is, working in her family's mochi shop. But maybe she won't be as alone as she thinks, because there may be someone who wants to make plans that include Tamako. Time is running out, and as the days count down before he leaves for university, Mochizo Ooji must find a way to overcome his shyness and confess his feelings. As two young people walk alone on diverging paths, what will it take for them to find each other in TAMAKO LOVE STORY?


Title: MATOI THE SACRED SLAYER COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 325 min.
Street Date: 9/19/2017
Format: BD, DVD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $59.98, $49.98

SYNOPSIS: Maroi Sumeragi’s mother disappeared 10 years ago, she’s just moved in with her Police officer father, and all she wants is to lead a quiet, normal life. Unfortunately, fate has other plans, and when Matoi’s friend Yuma’s family shrine is attacked, Yuma’s attempts to invoke an old spell goes wrong, transforming Matoi into a super-powered Exorcist! Suddenly Matoi’s in the middle of the battle between good and evil, dealing with secret agencies, keeping her father from finding out about her double life and, worst of all, coping with the fact that when the power in her God Cloak runs out, it leaves her naked, no matter where she is! This is so not cool! She didn’t want the job, but now she’s stuck with it and life is about to get far, far too exciting for MATOI THE SACRED SLAYER!

Section23 Films has announced its August 2017 slate of releases

Home video distributor Section23 Films has announced its August slate of releases, including two Limited Edition Premium Box Sets from Sentai Filmworks, Food Wars! and Ushio & Tora.

Product details follow, in order of release.

Title: HIDAMARI SKETCH: HONEYCOMB COMPLETE COLLECTION BLU-RAY
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 300 min.
Street Date: 8/8/2017
Format: BD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $59.98

SYNOPSIS: Studying at the Yamabuki Arts High School has been a dream-come-true for Yuno, and she's learned so much already! Not just from her instructors, but from the friends and neighbors who've become her second family and made the Hidamari Apartments such a safe and nurturing home. But as the day of her "big sisters" Sae and Hiro's graduation draws slowly closer, it's time for Yuno to start seriously taking on the same role for Nazuna, Nori and the other budding young artists who've entered Hidamari's protective cocoon. And it's also time to tackle some really challenging artistic assignments. That doesn't mean there won't still be time for fun with Miyako and all the others, but it's definitely time to pencil in her plans for the future. And sometimes that means putting the art before the course! Prepare to be drawn in once again as the magic that surrounds Hidamari continues in HIDAMARI SKETCH X HONEYCOMB - The COMPLETE COLLECTION!


Title: KING OF BREASTS BLU-RAY
Published by: SoftCel Pictures
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 56 min.
Street Date: 8/8/2017
Format: BD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $19.98

SYNOPSIS: Naoya likes breasts. In fact, he's so obsessed with them that he can recognize any breast from just a picture. But while that's an impressive ability, who would expect some mysterious patrons to set up a game where Naoya has to locate five championship breasts from among all the girls in the city? Oh, and to have a lot of sex too. That's exactly what happens when a girl named Nir shows up and gives Naoya the rules and a stack of free sex vouchers. That certainly doesn't suck! Or, actually, with his free vouchers, that's on the table too… With everyone from his teachers to the girl giving out free samples on the corner as possible "game pieces," Naoya's going to have a long, hard and very probing time ahead of him as he seeks to prove that he's the KING OF BREASTS!


Title: FOOD WARS! COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 600 min.
Street Date: 8/15/2017
Format: BD, DVD COMBO
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $99.98, $79.98, $199.98

SYNOPSIS: Ever since he was little, Soma Yukihira's main goals have been to beat his father in a cooking contest and take over the family diner. That's why, when his dad suddenly announces that he's shutting the restaurant down and sending Soma to cooking school, Soma is shocked. However, Tohtsuki Academy is no ordinary cooking school. This elite institution is filled with culinary giants like Erina "God Tongue" Nakiri, who does her best to keep a lowly short-order like Soma from even making it inside the door. However, if the snobs can dish it out, Soma can serve it up, and when he learns that only a handful of the students manage to graduate every year, he swears that the only way he'll leave is as number one in FOOD WARS!


Title: BAKUON!! COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 300 min.
Street Date: 8/22/2017
Format: BD, DVD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $59.98, $49.98

SYNOPSIS: Riding a bicycle may be better than walking, but when another girl zips past her on the way to class, Sakura Hane realizes that there's an even better option: motorcycles! Fortunately, Sakura's all-girl school just happens to have a motorcycle club! It only has one member though: the mysterious Raimu Kawasaki, who's never been seen without her face-obscuring helmet. But that changes immediately once Sakura and the girl who passed her, Onsa Amano, sign up and start recruiting! It won't all be easy riding… Sakura still has to earn her license, and there are problems like the club's official status having slipped, and the need to recruit a faculty sponsor. But when the rubber hits the road, those are just little potholes as six student bikers take a ride on the wild side in BAKUON!!


Title: BEYOND THE BOUNDARY –I’LL BE HERE-
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 180 min.
Street Date: 8/22/2017
Format: COMBO
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $49.98

SYNOPSIS: Can anyone outrun their past forever? Mirai Kuriyama's ability to control and manipulate her blood, even to use it as a weapon, has left her an outcast and pariah. But a chance encounter with Akihito Kanbara, whose own lineage is only partially human and allows him to heal from almost any injury, may have finally given her a chance at finding peace. When the cost of that path becomes apparent, will the two of them be willing to pay the price for a true happy ending? Even if it's achieved, how long can it last in a world where Mirai's mere existence is seen as a lethal threat? In two spectacular feature films, the world created in the hit series is taken to its epic, stunning conclusion: BEYOND THE BOUNDARY -I'LL BE HERE-: Past and BEYOND THE BOUNDARY -I'LL BE HERE-: Future!


Title: USHIO & TORA COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 975 min.
Street Date: 8/29/2017
Format: BD, DVD, COMBO
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $129.98, $99.98, $249.98

SYNOPSIS: Ushio always ignored his father's crazy tales about the temple where they live. All that talk of restless souls and vicious monsters are nothing more than stories, right? However, Ushio quickly rethinks his position when he discovers a locked basement with an actual demon pinned to the wall by a spear! The tiger-striped demon threatens to eat Ushio if he doesn't free him, so Ushio naturally chooses to ignore him. However, when the demon's presence starts to attract others, Ushio is forced to remove the spear to save himself. To make a bad situation even worse, freeing the demon, Tora, also bonds Ushio to the cursed Beast Spear, sending him on a journey where unspeakable dangers await. The battle is only beginning for these unlikely partners in the all-new USHIO & TORA!

Section23 Films has announced its July 2017 slate of releases

Home video distributor Section23 Films has announced its July slate of releases, including two Limited Edition Premium Box Sets from Sentai Filmworks, Gate and Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls.

Product details follow, in order of release.

Title: GATCHAMAN FIGHTER COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 1200 min.
Street Date: 7/4/2017
Format: DVD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $79.98

SYNOPSIS: The fight against Leader X was finally over, but a small portion of his evil remained and regenerated into Leader Z! Now, with the aid of the monstrous Count Egobossler, the Gatchaman team's arch-foe is out to destroy the world again, and even though their ranks have been decimated, the Gatchaman force has no choice but to keep fighting. To combat their new foes, they'll need new weapons and new allies, but their mission remains the same: protect the Earth and Mankind, no matter the cost. And that cost may prove to be the ultimate one when the new Gatchafencer blade wielded by Ken turns out to be a double-edged sword. Find out who will live, who will die, and who will triumph as Japan's most famous sci-fi fighter team takes on their greatest challenge in GATCHAMAN FIGHTER!


Title: THE DEVIL'S VIRGINS BLU-RAY
Published by: SoftCel Pictures
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 50 min.
Street Date: 7/11/2017
Format: BD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $19.98

SYNOPSIS: Mikoto and Takeru love their friend Tachibana, but Tachibana has a terrifying secret hidden inside him: a demon of monstrous evil waiting to be set free! That's not the sort of thing that can be cured with an over-the-counter medication, but Hatsune, the girls' mother, has a plan that might be able to trap the demon forever. The catch is that Hatsune must have sex with Tachibana, and then one of her daughters must sleep with him as well, thereby conceiving a new demon to counter the first. Fortunately for their demonically infested friend, Mikoto and Takeru are more than willing to do the dirty deed, as well as quite a few other things that normally wouldn't be approved of between sisters! The 3-way sex-orcism only gets wilder and more devilishly complicated when yet another girl is pulled into the act of sating Tachibana's inner demon in THE DEVIL'S VIRGINS!


Title: GATE COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 600 min.
Street Date: 7/11/2017
Format: BD, DVD COMBO
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $99.98, $79.98, $199.98

SYNOPSIS: When a mysterious gate suddenly appears in Tokyo's Ginza district and begins spewing armed warriors and flying monsters, the world is thrown into turmoil. Although the deadly attack is thrown back by Japan's Self Defense Force, there's now a new and entirely unknown land on the other side of the portal, and Japan is effectively at war with a nation on the other side. Determined to secure peace, the JSDF must send an armed force into the Gate, but ogres, dragons and a ruthless Empire populated by elves, humans, and half-animal warriors aren't the only dangers they'll face. With the resources of two worlds at stake, the balance of power on both sides of the Gate is destabilizing, and betrayal can come at any time, from any quarter. There, trapped right in the middle of the ensuing firestorm, stands officer Yoji Itami and the JSDF's Third Reconnaissance Team as they plunge into the GATE.


Title: TIME JAM: VALERIAN & LAURELINE COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 1000 min.
Street Date: 7/18/2017
Format: DVD
Language: English
SRP: $69.98

SYNOPSIS: The first rule of time travel is to never change anything. Otherwise, the resulting “butterfly effects” can ripple through time and wreak untold havoc on the unwritten future. But on his last test as a Space Time Agent, Valerian messes up. Not only does he save someone who would have been killed, but he’d have died himself if Laureline hadn’t rescued him! As a result, nothing in the future is where he left it, including the Earth! Now he and Laureline, his accidental passenger from 10th century France, have to put the universe back in order without writing themselves out of existence! Across a million worlds and an infinite number of possibilities, it’s the ultimate adventure in time and space as the multi-verse from the groundbreaking graphic novels by Pierre Christin and THE FIFTH ELEMENT designer Jean-Claude Mézières becomes the stage for TIME JAM: VALERIAN & LAURELINE!


Title: MONSTER MUSUME: EVERYDAY LIFE WITH MONTER GIRLS COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 350 min.
Street Date: 7/25/2017
Format: BD, DVD, COMBO
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $69.98, $59.98, $149.98

SYNOPSIS: No one expected the government to suddenly acknowledge the existence of demi-human species like harpies and centaurs, but when a careless Integration Agent shows up on Kimihito Kurusu's doorstep with an attractive Lamia in tow, he suddenly finds himself designated as a "Host Family". This might not be so bad, except that while Miia's top half is all girl and quickly develops a crush on her new human host, her snakelike bottom half makes that crush literal with a tendency to squeeze the life out of him! Plus, there's also the little problem that it's illegal for humans and non-humans to have THOSE kinds of relationships. With woman-in-black Agent Smith always sniffing about for improprieties, things only get more hectic in the Kurusu household when bird-brained Papi the harpy and master-seeking centaur Centorea need places to roost and stable. As the house gets crowded with even more captivating cuties, can any human male survive under such tempestuous and tempting conditions? Find out in MONSTER MUSUME: EVERYDAY LIFE WITH MONSTER GIRLS!


Title: RIN-NE SEASON 2 COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 625 min.
Street Date: 7/25/2017
Format: BD, DVD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $89.98 $69.98

SYNOPSIS: Black cats might be bad luck, but did you ever think that the cat might have a reason for causing trouble? Rinne Rokudo quickly finds out that it's more than possible, especially when the "cat" is the mostly humanoid Oboro who's stuck in a contract with spoiled Shinigami Ageha… so now Rinne's derelict house is suddenly filled with snake spirits! That's just the slinky start of the latest set of missions for perennially broke half-human, half-Shinigami exorcist Rinne; his contracted black cat/demon Rokumon; and Rinne's human classmate, partner in paranormal activities, and possible paramour Sakura "I see dead people" Mamiya. From ghostly class reunions to a flu so bad that you get it AFTER you die, the only thing you can be sure to expect is the unexpected in the second season of Rumiko Takahashi's RIN-NE!

Adult anime distributor SoftCel Pictures to re-launch in June 2017

Hentai fans rejoice! After 13 long years, adult anime market pioneer SoftCel Pictures is back, shaking up the North American home video scene with a sizzling new slate of Japan’s wildest animated entertainment. With an emerging catalog of uncut, uncensored, and high-definition Blu-rays, SoftCel Picture’s reputation as the premiere distributor of “hentai” animation will be at the forefront as the label re-launches in June 2017.

The revival of SoftCel Pictures is driven by a new mission: to achieve maximum market penetration and bring the finest in animated erotic entertainment directly from Japan to an eager and willing audience; to bring startling Blu-ray level clarity to acts that previously were hidden under sheets and layers of mosaics; and to boldly let anime characters go where they have never gone before!

With fine translations, English-subtitles, and HD materials that allow the viewers to take in every detail, SoftCel will deliver the highest quality in adult animated entertainment, straight from the uncut, uncensored masters. SoftCel Pictures aims to provide a sensual and sense pounding animated experience that exceeds all audience expectations, taking the viewer to dizzying new heights of ecstasy. The only thing not included is ribbing for enhanced viewing pleasure.

Ready to sign up? SoftCel’s first prescription for animated naughtiness begins with the completely shameless (and frequently shameful) doctor-patient exploits of The Patients of Dr. Maro (original Jpanese title: Maro no Kanja wa Ganteki). The Blu-ray, with reversible cover, (Region A) will be available for pre-order through select outlets beginning in February 2017.

As the year continues, the hits will keep coming. SoftCel Pictures’ avalanche of new releases will continue later in the year with a whole slate of new Blu-ray titles, including King of Breasts, Slave Princess, Sex Hypnotist Zero, and The Devil’s Virgins. Fans of explicit Japanese anime can learn more about these exciting new releases and receive forthcoming updates by visiting www.softcelpictures.com.