GHOST IN THE SHELL kicks off Japan Society's new Monthy Anime series this Friday, April 15th

Japan Society NY
Presents

Ghost in the Shell / Kôkaku Kidôtai
Directed by Mamoru Oshii
With Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Otsuka, and Iemasa Kayumi
DCP, color, in Japanese with English Subtitles
Japan, 1995, 83 minutes

When: Friday, April 15 at 7:00 pm
Where: Japan Society NY
333 East 47th Street, NY, NY
Tickets: $15 / $5 members

Japan Society NY's new Monthly Anime series begins on Friday, April 15 at 7:00 pm with a screening of Mamoru Oshii's cyberpunk hit Ghost in the Shell. The series will explore the widely influential legacy of anime through in-person screenings of classic, underseen and contemporary visions from Japanese animation.

Mamoru Oshii’s groundbreaking classic conjures a startling vision of the future—a new age of global interconnectedness wherein neural pathways and information networks have become inextricably linked. Surveilling the sprawling technopolis of New Port City, Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg officer specializing in cybercrime, hunts down a mysterious entity responsible for a series of ‘ghost-hackings’ that have infiltrated human hosts. Known only as the Puppet Master, the newly-surfaced threat leads Major to uncover a vast conspiracy—prompting her to question her own humanity and purpose of existence. 

Note that while the movie screens at 7:00 pm, there will be a pre-screening party at 6:00 pm with Japanese foods and snacks provided by Kikkoman. The first 10 people who take photos in costume with our supporter banner and tag Japan Society on social media will receive a dual membership to Japan Society.

For the health and safety of Japan Society staff and visitors, all audience members are asked to:

- Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth at all times. Masks with vents/bandanas are not permitted. Respirator-style masks (N95, KN95, KF94, etc.) are encouraged.

- Bring proof of vaccination and photo ID with you. As of February 1, proof of a booster shot is required for anyone who is eligible, with a 4-week grace period after eligibility.

For more information, please review Japan Society's Visitor Policies and Safety Protocols.

The Monkey King: Reborn is coming to digital, Blu-ray™ & DVD on December 7th, 2021

Well Go USA Entertainment
presents

The Monkey King: Reborn

Directed by Wang Yun Fei

China, 2021, 96 minutes

Following on the heels of recent groundbreaking animated films from China (including Ne Zha, 2020 & Jiang Ziya, 2021) comes an all-new anime action-adventure fantasy, The Monkey King: Reborn, landing on digital, Blu-ray™ and DVD December 7th, 2021 from Well Go USA Entertainment.

 

Playing off the three hugely popular Monkey King live action films,  The Monkey King: Reborn follows the trickster after he is insulted while visiting a temple with his master Tang Monk. Outraged, he destroys a magical tree and accidentally releases the ancient King of Demons, who kidnaps Tang Monk as revenge for his long imprisonment. Now, Monkey King and his fellow disciples must rescue their master within three days, before the demon king regains his full power and unleashes his armies to destroy the earth.

Directed by Wang Yun Fei (4-film Yugo & Lala franchise),  The Monkey King: Reborn features an all-new English dub for this release.

Synopsis:
After short-tempered trickster Monkey King is insulted while visiting a temple with his master Tang Monk, he destroys a magical tree and accidentally releases the ancient King of Demons, who kidnaps Tang Monk as revenge for his long imprisonment. Now, Monkey King and his fellow disciples must rescue their master within three days, before the Demon King regains his full power and unleashes his armies to destroy the earth.

SECTION23 FILMS announces its April 2021 slate of releases

Home video distributor Section23 Films has announced its April slate of releases, which includes Sentai Filmworks action packed series, HERO MASK!, available on Blu-ray April 27th.

Product details in order of release:

Title: ELFEN LIED
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 350 min.
Street Date: 4/6/2021
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $49.98

SYNOPSIS: Critics have described Elfen Lied as "weird," (Anime Planet), "surprisingly sadistic," (Gamers Edge), and "addictive"(Animesou). No wonder, when you consider what makes this series hum! Lucy, a beautiful young mutant, is bred by the military to be the ultimate weapon. Now, with government killers on her trail, the disposition of a five year old, and a hair trigger for ultraviolence, Lucy and her young friends must unravel the dark secret of her legacy before it's too late.


Title: IRON GIRL: FINAL WARS
Published by: Switchblade Pictures
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 90 min.
Street Date: 4/6/2021
Format: BD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $19.98

SYNOPSIS: Chris may have survived the Apocalypse, but there are still plenty of threats from the past lurking in the ruins of civilization… and now one of them is actively looking for her! At least, that's how it seems when she encounters Joe, a member of the resistance who is trying to discover why the artificial intelligence known as JUDA has been sending out murderous cyborgs with a certain heroine as their target! Even more unnerving is the fact that a mysterious young girl Sara has been having dreams calling to Chris for help… even though the two of them have never met! And if killer cyborgs alone aren't terrifying enough, JUDA has doubled their lethality by equipping their resurrected warriors with the latest in sword technology in IRON GIRL: FINAL WARS!


Title: SUNDAY WITHOUT GOD
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 325 min.
Street Date: 4/6/2021
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $59.98

SYNOPSIS: In a world abandoned by God, the bodies of the dead will continue to walk unless they are buried by one of the mysterious Gravekeepers. Ai, one of the last children in a world where no more can be born, becomes her small village's Gravekeeper when her mother, the previous Gravekeeper, passes on… but the arrival of a pale gun-wielding stranger destroys her village and what little remained of Ai's old existence. Is this seemingly immortal man possibly an important figure from Ai's past? Uncertain of what else to do, Ai finds herself compelled to set forth on a mission to learn the secrets of this strange world without proper death, unravel the mysteries of her own past, and, hopefully, find a way to put the dead permanently to rest in SUNDAY WITHOUT GOD!


Title: KIDS ON THE SLOPE
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 300 min.
Street Date: 4/13/2021
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $59.98

SYNOPSIS: Kaoru Nishimi has spent his life on the move, always struggling to fit in to new schools and having to push on just when he'd started to set down roots. But when he comes to stay with his extended family in seaside Kyushu, things will be different. Kaoru wanders through high school, meeting friends who change his life forever, and discovers a new kind of music that affects him like nothing ever has before.Ritsuko, the girl whose family owns the music store, and Sentaro, the high school delinquent, both set in motion Kaoru's fascination with this amazing thing called Jazz. Fashions may change and fads come and go, but when you put a couple of musically obsessed teens together and let them follow their muse, magic is sure to happen in THE KIDS ON THE SLOPE!


Title: LAIDBACKERS
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 60 min.
Street Date: 4/13/2021
Format: BD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $29.98

SYNOPSIS: A funny thing happened to Kumi when she moved to Kyoto to take over her grandmother's sweet shop. While she does find a store that sells cheap snacks, the supposedly empty adjoining residence is instead inhabited by three other girls: Harami, Mai, and K, plus a dog, who claim to be legendary heroes reincarnated into our world! However, that's not as exciting as it sounds, as the Demon Lord they were seeking never showed up, so they've just been hanging out, waiting for something interesting to happen. That's when ANOTHER cute young girl, Ran, shows up, and it seems that she WAS the Demon Lord, but botched up her own resurrection and now wants to make amends for the things that she did in the past. But in order to do that, she's going to need a little demon-hunting help from the LAIDBACKERS!


Title: KAIJI
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 1250 min.
Street Date: 4/20/2021
Format: BD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $99.98

SYNOPSIS: Unemployed degenerate Kaiji Ito spent his time drinking, gambling, and racking up bills, and was sure that his life had hit rock bottom. Then that bottom fell out when Endo the Loan Shark arrived to inform him of a friend's default on a loan that Kaiji foolishly co-signed, making Kaiji responsible for a soul crushing 3,000,000 yen! But there is one possible way out; if Kaiji goes to a secret gambling ship and plays successfully for one night, his debt could be absolved. It's a trick, of course, but what choice does Kaiji have? Trapped into playing a series of increasingly ruthless contests that are hopelessly rigged against the players, Kaiji finds himself a pawn in a competition where the game pieces aren't expected to survive… and the real players are all actively betting against KAIJI!


Title: ASSASSINS PRIDE STEELBOOK
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 300 min.
Street Date: 4/27/2021
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $99.98

SYNOPSIS: Against the savage monsters that lurk outside the glass walls of Flandore, the last remnants of humanity have only one defense: the mana magic wielded only by members of the Noble class. When Melida, heiress to House of Angel, fails to manifest her magic upon reaching majority, the half-vampire Kufa is sent with orders from her own Grandfather to resolve the issue… and if Melida cannot manifest mana, Kufa is to execute her for the crime of impure blood. But when Melida fails the test, Kufa can't bring himself to kill the spirited young woman whose only fault was to have an adulterous mother. And so, instead, he commits the crime of giving Melida some of his own mana. Now, bound by magic and a deadly secret, the two must work together in order to stay alive in ASSASSINS PRIDE!


Title: HERO MASK
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 600 min.
Street Date: 4/27/2021
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $89.98

SYNOPSIS: Are a series of bombings and the murder of a high-ranking government official linked to the actions of the huge international pharmaceutical company LIVE? Ordered to investigate, Detective James Blood of the Special Service of Crime quickly discovers far more than just a conspiracy. There's a new technology on the street: masks as thin as paper that completely alter the appearance of the wearer's face while also granting amazing strength and agility… at the cost of years off their users' lives! Together with assistant attorney/murder witness Sarah Sinclair, Blood must unearth the secrets behind the masks and their connection to LIVE's mysterious founder. But the clock is ticking down and James and Sarah may already be living on borrowed time. Because when the ultimate disguise powers the ultimate human killing machines, death can be lurking anywhere in HERO=MASK!

TAKOYAKI STORY reviewed

  Takoyaki Story

Directed by Sawako Kabuki

Japan, 2018, 1’35”

 

Takoyaki Story is an animated short about a girl who is attracted to takoyaki and who eventual overcomes her hesitancy to eat them. Takoyaki is translated into English as octopus balls. But let's be absolutely clear:  they are not the genital sacks of male octopuses!  Rather, takoyaki is a famous and very delicious Japanese street food snack made of ball-shaped cakes containing pieces of chopped octopus and sundry other items.

Takoyaki Story is colorful, fun and delightful. Made me think of the Beatles' animated film Yellow Submarine, only it's a short and features dancing octopuses instead of Blue Meanies.

AsianCineFest rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars; very highly recommended.

Takoyaki Story is one of the fourteen short films showing online at this year's New York Japan CineFest which ends today, Sunday, November 22nd.
 

Registration: $1 service fee plus suggested donation
Official Festival site: http://watch.nyjcf.com
Official Website: http://nyjcf.com

Section23 Films has announced its May 2020 slate of releases

Home video distributor Section23 Films has announced its May slate of releases which includes Sentai Filmworks griping sports drama, Run with the Wind, available on Blu-ray May 26th with a Limited Edition Premium Box Set to be released soon.

Product details follow, in order of release.

Title: WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HERE, TEACHER!?
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 195 min.
Street Date: 5/5/2020
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $49.98

SYNOPSIS: Kawanuma West may be a public school, but some of its students are about to get private lessons in sex ed courtesy of four very attractive teachers! To be clear, none of our lady educational professionals begin their semesters by writing "get involved with a fortunate male member of my class" in their daily planners… but strange and inexplicable things keep happening to thrust our teacher/pupil combos into sexually charged situations where something's bound to happen! Whether it's falling into water, doors ripping off clothing, or that frequent staple of Japanese school life, the accidental breast/face collision, these poor ladies just can't help it. And what are the guys supposed to do as they're pulled deeper and deeper into titillating TILF traps of epic proportions? It's time to come and learn in WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HERE, TEACHER!?


Title: MAID SAMA
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 665 min.
Street Date: 5/12/2020
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $89.98

SYNOPSIS: Misaki Ayusawa fought hard to earn respect as Seika High's first female student council president, but her personal life has been in shambles since her father left her family deep in debt. To pay off the bills, Misaki's taken a job on the side, but it's one that no one at school can ever find out about. It would just be too humiliating for her classmates to learn that she's secretly a… gasp!... waitress at a maid café! And, of course, when someone does discover her double life, it's the worst possible person: her aloof and much too handsome classmate, Usui Takumi. Can Misaki convince Usui to keep her apron in the closet? And what is his silence going to cost her? Now that her Maid life has been made, there's a Devil to be paid in MAID-SAMA!


Title: VAMPIRE HUNTER D STEELBOOK
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 80 min.
Street Date: 5/12/2020
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $69.98

SYNOPSIS: For 10,000 years, Count Magnus Lee has walked the night, sustained by an unholy thirst for blood and an unending lust for human women. But when he tastes the sweet nectar running through Doris Lang's veins, the Count knows he has found more than his next meal: this is the woman he intends to claim as his next vampire bride. As the daughter of a werewolf hunter, however, Doris Lang is less than willing to step into the thrall of evil. And if she is unable to defend herself from the Count's nightmarish powers, she is fortunate enough to have found someone who can: the Vampire Hunter known as D. But D is no ordinary man, and signing up for his protection may carry a price of its own. Driven by the art of acclaimed designer Yoshitaka Amano (FINAL FANTASY I - VI, the Hugo nominated Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN-THE DREAM HUNTERS), this is the epic animated fantasy that spawned multiple sequels and helped launch the anime revolution. Remastered in high-definition from the original elements and upgraded audio tracks, it's the legendary classic as you've never seen it before in VAMPIRE HUNTER D!


Title: SENRYU GIRL
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 180 min.
Street Date: 5/19/2020
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $49.98

SYNOPSIS: Eiji Busujima was a delinquent in middle school, but now that he's in high school, he's trying to put all that behind him. He's even joined the literature club! Unfortunately, while Eiji's heart might be in the right place, his face didn't get the memo, and if his scowling, slit-like eyes don't scare people away, then his attempts at senryu poetry probably will. But there's one member of the literature club who isn't easily intimidated: Nanako Yukishiro, an odd but cheerful young woman who never speaks and communicates only through senryu poetry! So, when the meddling president of the club decides to encourage a relationship between this strange literary pair, the haiku is sure to fly! The most important words are left unsaid when an ex-delinquent becomes the target of a write-by romance from a SENRYU GIRL!


Title: RUN WITH THE WIND
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 575 min.
Street Date: 5/26/2020
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $89.98

SYNOPSIS: Kakeru Kurahara was a track star in high school, but after losing his money gambling, the only running he's doing is fleeing after shoplifting food. Then Kakeru's escape route crosses paths with Haiji Kiyose, and he gets a chance to change his life's direction. A fourth-year college student, Haiji has dreamed of entering the famous Hakone Ekidan relay marathon, but he's been one runner short of a potential team… until he sees Kakeru blow past him like the wind and knows he's found his critical tenth man. Of course, it won't be easy convincing Kakeru to join, and the rest of the team includes such questionable choices as a chronic smoker and an underweight otaku, but they've all got legs and Haiji will make sure they learn how to use them to RUN WITH THE WIND!

Section23 Films has announced its April 2020 slate of releases

Home video distributor Section23 Films has announced its April slate of releases, featuring the latest installment in BUSHIROAD’s popular multimedia franchise: BanG Dream! 2nd Season.

Product details follow, in order of release.

Title: REVUE STARLIGHT
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 300 min.
Street Date: 4/7/2020
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $69.98

SYNOPSIS: As the 99th graduating class of the Seisho Music Academy prepares for their annual review, "Starlight", aspiring actress Karen Aijo is happy just to have the chance to be in the cast. But when Karen's childhood friend Hikari mysteriously arrives after years abroad, Karen quickly learns that there is more going on at Seisho than the normal drama classes. Following Hikari late one night, Karen discovers an elevator that takes her deep below the Earth, where the secret auditions for the leads in Starlight is underway… a competition that is fought with real weapons as well as song and dance! Goaded by the giraffe in charge of the trials, Karen throws caution to the wind and takes the stage herself… but will she be ready to survive the ultimate contest of drama and skills that is REVUE STARLIGHT?


Title: AO-CHAN CAN'T STUDY
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 180 min.
Street Date: 4/14/2020
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $49.98

SYNOPSIS: Most high school girls would be proud that their father is a famous writer, but Ao Horie's father is an EROTIC writer, a purveyor of pornographic prose. He's authored hundreds of dirty books and it has definitely warped his twisted sensibilities. Since Ao thinks that anyone who learns about her father is going to assume that Ao is at least somewhat like her pornographic papa, Ao's solution is to just not talk to other people, especially boys. All she wants to do is study and get good grades so she can go to a school far away from her family. And that's why Takumi Kajima is driving her crazy! He keeps trying to talk to her, distracting her, and causing her to think about the kind of things she'd rather not think about… which is why, suddenly, AO-CHAN CAN'T STUDY!


Title: CINDERELLA NINE
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 300 min.
Street Date: 4/14/2020
Format: BD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $59.98

SYNOPSIS: Since Satogahama High School was an all-girls school until recently, they've never even had a boy’s baseball team. Arihara Tsubasa isn't the kind of girl who waits for boys to lead the way, however, so she makes an unauthorized announcement that the Girls' Baseball Team is seeking members! But that was the easy part! Now she has to find the four other girls required to form a school club, and then four more girls to make a team. At least Arihara's best friend, Tomoe, can fill one position, but then they'll have to get creative. If that means co-opting cheerleaders, student council members, reporters from the school paper and even an archrival from Junior High, then so be it! They're not running away from the ball; they're fielding it and running for home in CINDERELLA NINE!


Title: BANG DREAM! 2ND SEASON
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 325 min.
Street Date: 4/21/2020
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $69.98

SYNOPSIS: It's a new school year and Kasumi, Arisa, Saya, Tae, and Rimi are thrilled to finally be second-year students. Even more exciting than becoming upperclassmen, however, is the fun they have while performing in their band Poppin' Party… until things get out of control when the girls publicly announce that they're going to do their own concert before they've really studied the issue. Suddenly they're committed to doing something that's a lot more difficult than it seemed, and the pressure is doubled since their musical rivals in Roselia, who've also announced a live concert, are way ahead of them in planning! But you can't stop the music, and with a little hard work and help from other groups and some talented newcomers, Poppin' Party fever will soon be popping up all over in BANG DREAM! 2


Title: CLANNAD STEELBOOK
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 1225 min.
Street Date: 4/28/2020
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $149.98

SYNOPSIS: Sometimes all it takes to change your life forever is a chance encounter. Since the death of his mother, Tomoya has distanced himself from his abusive father and seems on a path of self-destruction. Nagisa's poor health has left her a year behind in school, but she longs to restart the now disbanded Drama Club. In an impulsive moment, Tomoya agrees to help her and they soon find themselves joined by others in desperate need of support and emotional healing. Join the Club and meet the ambitious Tomoyo, who dreams of becoming class president; Kotomi, a troubled genius with a secret past; and the mysterious Fuko, whose disassociation with the world is so severe that she seems to be fading away as the sentimental, the surreal and the supernatural merge together in the acclaimed anime classic CLANNAD!


Title: W'Z
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 400 min.
Street Date: 4/28/2020
Format: BD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $59.98

SYNOPSIS: Even though he’s only 14, Yukiya wants to become the best online DJ anyone has ever heard. But becoming famous isn’t easy, and it’s made even more difficult by his father’s odd instructions to never touch hands with anyone else. So, while Yukiya spends every moment he can working on music videos, he knows that hard work alone may not be enough to achieve his goals. He needs something else. Something different. And then he finds the Ziggurat. It’s another world, a place that Yukiya can access just by touching hands with another person. Any other person. That’s something that no one else has ever been able to do before. And that ability makes Yukiya an extremely valuable commodity that some people will be willing to do anything to control in W’Z!

NE ZHA returning to theaters on January 31st in honor of the Lunar New Year

Well Go USA

Entertainment

presents

Ne Zha / Nezha zhi motong jiangshi

Written and directed by Yang Yu

China, 2019, 110 minutes

In observance of the Chinese Lunar New Year, Well Go USA Entertainment will rerelease the Chinese box office hit animated-feature Ne Zha in select markets on January 31st.

With somber understanding that this is a very sensitive time for many in the Chinese community and with the cancellation of many Lunar New Year releases, Well Go USA wanted to give a Lunar New Year gift with an English dubbed Ne Zha.

The Lunar New Year is the Chinese festival launches on the new moon and celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese calendar. The first day of the Chinese New Year was Saturday, January 25th, initiating the Year of the Rat, which runs through February 8.

In addition, Well Go USA Entertainment has created an English-dub version of the trailer, now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYSiEFeMbZ0

In Ne Zha, a young boy, Ne Zha, is born from a heavenly pearl by the Primeval Lord of Heaven, Yuanshi Tianzun. Born with unique powers, he finds himself as an outcast who is hated and feared. Destined by prophecy to bring destruction to the world, the young boy must choose between good and evil in order to break the shackles of fate and become the hero.

Produced by Beijing Enlight Pictures and written and directed by first time director Yang Yu (aka Jiao Zi), Ne Zha is currently the highest-grossing animated feature in China’s film history with box office gross presently at $535 million and over 100 million admissions. Ne Zha is on course to pass Wandering Earth and become China’s second-highest grossing film of all-time by the end of its theatrical run. Ne Zha is also the highest-grossing animated IMAX feature in China’s film history, and the second highest-grossing local language IMAX feature of all time in the market.

JIANG ZIYA coming to North American theaters on February 7th

Well Go USA

Entertainment

Presents

Jiang Ziya / Xin feng shen jiang zi ya

Directed by Teng Cheng and Wei Li

China, 2019, 110 minutes

Well Go USA Entertainment will release Jiang Ziya the next 3D animation in a series of animated films from Bejing Enlight Pictures in North American theaters on February 7th, 2020.

Based on an ancient Chinese myth, the film follows Jiang Ziya, a top commander in the divine army of the Kunlun Sect. Before Jiang Ziya can ascend to his new position among the Gods, he is ordered to execute the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon who threatens the mortal realm’s very existence. But when the Fox Demon shows him a dangerous secret, he is unable to complete his task resulting in his banishment to the mortal realm forever. Ten years later, atop the ruins of war, Jiang Ziya is once again faced with a challenging decision – follow the will of heaven regardless of innocent life lost or find his own path to righteousness.

Produced by Beijing Enlight Pictures, Jiang Ziya is the second movie in series of films following the box office hit Ne Zha. Currently the highest-grossing animated feature in China’s film history, Ne Zha generated a total box office revenue of nearly $720 million and passed Wandering Earth to become China’s second highest grossing film of all-time only behind the 2017 action thriller Wolf Warrior 2.

Section23 Films has announced its November 2019 slate of releases

Home video distributor Section23 Films has announced its November slate of releases featuring the exciting third season of Haikyu!! from Sentai Filmworks, which will be available on DVD & BD November 26th with a Limited Edition Premium Box Set later this year.

Product details in order of release:

Title: MY TEEN ROMANTIC COMEDY ~ SNAFU
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 675 min.
Street Date: 11/5/2019
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $89.98

SYNOPSIS: When Hachiman Hikigaya, who has no friends and believes that anyone who likes high school is either deluded or a liar, is coerced into joining the "Services Club" run by Yukino Yukinoshita, who's smart, attractive and considers everyone to be her complete inferior, it's a catastrophe just waiting to happen. But it's not until the THIRD ingredient… Yui Yuigahama, who's cute, bright, cheerful, and needs help baking cookies… is added to the combustible mix that the sparks really start to fly. Is this a recipe for romance or a prelude to a nuclear meltdown? Get ready for rom-com gone totally wrong as the barrage a trois of the Service Club is unleashed on an unsuspecting student body in MY TEEN ROMANTIC COMEDY ~ SNAFU and MY TEEN ROMANTIC COMEDY ~ SNAFU TOO!


Title: NATSU NO ARASHI
Published by: Maiden Japan
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 325 min.
Street Date: 11/12/2019
Format: BD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $59.98

SYNOPSIS: Sometimes when you meet someone, you just know they're going to be interesting, but when 13-year-old Yasaka Hajime meets an older girl while staying at his grandfather's house for summer vacation, he has no idea how much she's about to change his life! To begin with, while Arashi may only look a few years older than Yasaka, she's actually closer in age to his granddad! How is that possible? It seems that Arashi's not exactly human anymore, and besides being a ghost from 1945, she has an important mission that revolves around her ability to travel in time! Since Arashi can only travel temporally if she's accompanied by a living being from her current present, guess who's about to become her partner in paradoxity? It's time for everything to go a little crazy in NATSU NO ARASHI!


Title: HIDAMARI SKETCH PICTURE PERFECT COLLECTION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 1450 min.
Street Date: 11/19/2019
Format: BD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $99.98

SYNOPSIS: Yuno has dreamed of attending Yamabuki Arts High School for years, but while it's an incredible opportunity, it also means moving away from her home and family. Fortunately, her new neighbors at the eclectic Hidamari (Sunshine) Apartments, most of whom are fellow students, will be there to help her through the transition! Soon Yuno's not only no longer feeling homesick, but she's gained a second family in second-year students Hiro and Sae, who do their best to play the role of older sisters, and her hyperactive new best friend and classmate Miyako. Add in a cosplay-obsessed homeroom teacher, her rather masculine landlady and all of the other odd denizens who inhabit Yuno's new world and there's always something fun and interesting going when new friends get creative in HIDAMARI SKETCH PICTURE PERFECT COLLECTION!


Title: HAIKYU!! SEASON 3
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 250 min.
Street Date: 11/26/2019
Format: BD, DVD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $69.98, $59.98

SYNOPSIS: The Miyagi Prefecture Representative for the Spring High School National Volleyball Championship continues as the Karasuno team advances to take on the undefeated prefecture champions, Shiratorizawa Academy High School. This is the strongest opponent Karasuno has ever faced, and the deck is stacked against them with an extra ace in the form Wakatoshi Ushijima, a powerful wing spiker who's already played with the National Team! If they want to win, Hinata, Kageyama and the rest of the Crows will have to learn an entirely new playing style in order to counter Ushijima and his seemingly unstoppable spike… and that's just the first lesson the Shiratorizawa veterans have in store for the Crows. The game is on as the players hit the court in the third pulse-pounding season of HAIKYU!!

Section23 Films has announced its October 2019 slate of releases

Home video distributor Section23 Films has announced its October slate of releases featuring Sentai Filmworks’ feature-length film, based on the hugely popular franchise known to insiders as DanMachi, IS IT WRONG TO PICK UP GIRLS IN A DUNGEON? ARROW OF THE ORION! Available on Blu-ray and DVD!

Product details in order of release:

Title: JOSHIRAKU
Published by: Maiden Japan
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 325 min.
Street Date: 10/1/2019
Format: BD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $59.98

SYNOPSIS: Marii, Kigurumi, Tetora, Gankyo and Kukuru are five young women with completely different interests and personalities, but there's one thing that they all share: performing Rakugo, a unique form of Japanese comic theater in which a single artist sits in front of an audience and tells an entire story, portraying multiple characters solely through changes of voice and minimal movements. It's a challenging art but all five of our heroines are determined to become the best they can… and in the meantime, they find themselves hanging out together, both at the Rakugo theaters and around town. They also have a shared acquaintance, a mysterious stranger who's always wearing a wrestling mask! What's that about? To find out, pull up a seat and watch as our heroines put on the best show in town in JOSHIRAKU!


Title: MR. TONEGAWA: MIDDLE MANAGEMENT BLUES
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 600 min.
Street Date: 10/15/2019
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $89.98

SYNOPSIS: Nobody knows what it's like to be the bad man… except the bad man's right-hand man, who has to take the boss' deranged ideas and turn them into functioning plans. So, when the sadistic president of the Teiai Group decides he's bored with the routine leg breaking and widow/orphan evicting, he assigns the task of coming up with something "special" to his ruthless Number Two, Yukio Tonegawa. But how do you amuse someone who destroys a dozen lives before breakfast? There's a huge pool of potential victims in the form of TFO's swollen roster of defaulting borrowers, but if Tonegawa and his team of nearly identical men in black look-alikes can't create a "game of death" that tickles the boss' demented funny bones, they may end up playing the game themselves in MR. TONEGAWA: MIDDLE MANAGEMENT BLUES!


Title: IS IT WRONG TO PICK UP GIRLS IN A DUNGEON? ARROW OF THE ORION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 82 min.
Street Date: 10/22/2019
Format: BD, DVD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $39.98, $29.98

SYNOPSIS: Living above the legendary dungeons of Orario ought to be enough danger for anyone, and in his short time as a member of the goddess Hestia's familia, Bell Cranel has experienced more perils and pitfalls than most. So, when Bell unexpectedly wins a free trip, is it too much to hope that he might have actually won a real vacation? Of course it is! Inexplicably chosen as the champion of Hestia's friend, the goddess Artemis, Bell quickly finds himself up to his neck in ruins and monsters as yet another epic quest begins. And where Bell goes, can the ever-jealous Hestia be far behind? Explore the world of DanMachi like never before as all of your favorite characters return in Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: Arrow of the Orion!


Title: KASE-SAN AND MORNING GLORIES
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 60 min.
Street Date: 10/22/2019
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $29.98

SYNOPSIS: A relationship is like a garden. It's hard, really hard, to plant the initial seeds. Once you've gone through the agonizing process of wondering if the other person even likes you, fought the fear that telling her could destroy everything, and made your confession, the most difficult part begins. Because you have to keep nurturing this wonderful new feeling to keep it growing. Not just in your own heart, but in hers. And since even the most beautiful rose can cut you to the bone with its thorns, who can you talk to for advice? Especially when you're both girls in high school? For shy Yamada and boyish Kase, time is running out. High school is coming to an end and they must make a choice: stay together and let their love grow, or separate and let it die in KASE-SAN AND MORNING GLORIES.


Title: YUMEIRO PATISSIERE
Published by: Maiden Japan
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 1575 min.
Street Date: 10/29/2019
Format: BD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $49.98

SYNOPSIS: Everyone's good at something, but after years of being overshadowed by her sister's musical skills, Ichigo Amano's main talent seems to be making cake disappear into her tummy. Then the famous pastry chef Henri Lucas discovers that Ichigo has a truly exceptional sense of taste and makes her the sweetest offer ever: to study at a prestigious culinary school that specializes in desserts! It sounds like a dream come true, but Ichigo has a lot to learn and becoming a pâtissière won't be as easy as pie. Fortunately, three handsome fellow students are there to help and things really get cooking when the school's magical Sweet Spirits join in! Has Ichigo bitten off more than she can chew or is her baking star about to rise? Find out in the sweet and frothy confection that is YUMEIRO PATISSIERE!

NE ZHA coming to North American IMAX® 3D theaters on August 29th; nationwide expansion to follow on September 6th

Well Go USA

Presents

Ne Zha / Nezha zhi motong jiangshi

Written and directed by Yang Yu

China, 2019, 110 minutes

Well Go USA Entertainment will release the Chinese box office hit animated-feature NE ZHA exclusively in select IMAX® 3D theaters across North America on August 29th, followed by a nationwide expansion on September 6th.

Produced by Beijing Enlight Pictures and written and directed by first time director Yang Yu (aka Jiao Zi), Ne Zha is currently the highest-grossing animated feature in China’s film history with box office gross presently at $535 million and over 100 million admissions. Ne Zha is on course to pass Wandering Earth and become China’s second-highest grossing film of all-time by the end of its theatrical run. Ne Zha is also the highest-grossing animated IMAX feature in China’s film history, and the second highest-grossing local language IMAX feature of all time in the market.

Synopsis
A young boy, Ne Zha, is born from a heavenly pearl by the Primeval Lord of Heaven, Yuanshi Tianzun. Born with unique powers, he finds himself as an outcast who is hated and feared. Destined by prophecy to bring destruction to the world, the young boy must choose between good and evil in order to break the shackles of fate and become the hero. 

Three screenings of TOMOYASU MURATA: STOP MOTION MASTER at Japan Society next weekend

Japan Society NY

Presents

© TMC

Tomoyasu Murata: Stop Motion Master

Written, directed and animated by Tomoyasu Murata

Japan, 2000-2017, 84 minutes

When: Saturday, February 23, 3 PM,

Saturday, February 23, 5 PM, and

Saturday, February 23, 7 PM 

Where: Japan Society NY

333 East 47th Street, NYC

Map

Tickets

North American Premiere

One of Japan's most prolific independent animation artists, Tomoyasu Murata (b. 1974, Tokyo) has created breathtaking, boundary-breaking stop motion animated films over the last two decades. Initially inspired by the expressive power of traditional Japanese bunraku puppet theater, Murata's films—at once tender, whimsical and mysterious—deal with themes of memory, absence and mujo (the Buddhist concept of impermanence) through the cinematic manipulation of his meticulously handcrafted puppets and fantastical miniature sets. The eight short films in this program range from the artist's award-winning student work to recent projects that respond to the Great East Japan Earthquake.

SECTION23 FILMS has announced its MARCH 2018 slate of releases

Home video distributor Section23 Films has announced its March slate of releases, which includes Sentai Filmworks’ popular shoujo anime series, CHIHAYAFURU SEASON 2. The Complete Collection will be available on Blu-ray, DVD and a Limited Edition Premium Box Set

Product details follow, in order of release.

Title: GIRLISH NUMBER BLU-RAY
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 300 min.
Street Date: 3/6/2018
Format: BD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $59.98

SYNOPSIS: Chitose Karasuma wants to make it big as a voice actor, but while she looks and sounds adorable, she's also self-absorbed, inattentive, selfish, and lazy. However, since her manager is also her big brother, she's still getting bit parts and dreaming of landing the big role that will make her famous. Unfortunately, karma bites Chitose in the worst way possible when her big chance finally arrives, because the producers who've hired her are even more clueless than she is! Now, she's trapped in a nightmare production where nothing goes right, the ratings are in the toilet, and swimsuit photos and live stage shows take priority over making quality programming! Can Chitose and her fellow trapped actresses turn things around and save their careers? Or will they all go down with the sinking ship in GIRLISH NUMBER?


Title: INITIAL D LEGEND 2: RACER
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 60 min.
Street Date: 3/13/2018
Format: COMBO
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $39.98

SYNOPSIS: Sometimes the only thing that beating a champion accomplishes is making you the next target for a long line of challengers, which is why Takumi Fujiwara's defeat of the RedSuns' Keisuke hasn't ended anything. In fact, it's only served to draw the reluctant delivery driver even further into the dangerous world of drift racing. Takumi's fate is sealed when his friend Itsuki accidentally accepts a challenge from Takeshi Nakazato, leader of the Myogi NightKids. Now it's a matter of honor, and Takumi will have to pit his gutter technique against the 4WD skills of a much more experienced driver! The race is on as the legendary street racing series returns in a second explosive new motion picture: NEW THEATRICAL MOVIE INITIAL D LEGEND 2: RACER!


Title: MY TEEN ROMANTIC COMEDY ~ SNAFU COMPLETE BLU-RAY
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 650 min.
Street Date: 3/13/2018
Format: BD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $79.98

SYNOPSIS: When Hachiman Hikigaya, who has no friends and believes that anyone who likes high school is either deluded or a liar, is coerced into joining the "Services Club" run by Yukino Yukinoshita, who's smart, attractive and considers everyone to be her complete inferior, it's a catastrophe just waiting to happen. But it's not until the THIRD ingredient… Yui Yuigahama, who's cute, bright, cheerful, and needs help baking cookies… is added to the combustible mix that the sparks really start to fly. Is this a recipe for romance or a prelude to a nuclear meltdown? Get ready for rom-com gone totally wrong as the barrage a trois of the Service Club is unleashed on an unsuspecting student body in MY TEEN ROMANTIC COMEDY ~ SNAFU and MY TEEN ROMANTIC COMEDY ~ SNAFU TOO!


Title: CHIHAYAFURU SEASON 2
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 625 min.
Street Date: 3/20/2018
Format: BD, DVD, COMBO
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $99.98, $79.98, $149.98

SYNOPSIS: Chihaya's determination to become a master karuta player hasn't changed, but as a new semester begins, the team's focus switches to recruiting new members for the club in order to keep their meeting space. Unfortunately, while a number of students initially express interest, few are willing to put forth the effort it takes to play on the level of the existing members. Enter Sumire Hanano, who split with her boyfriend on the first day of school. Now seeking a replacement, she thinks that Taichi might just fill the role nicely… even if it means jumping into a pool with a shark like Chihaya! Now all the cards are on the table… or, in this case, the floor… and the games are really about to start in CHIHAYAFURU season 2!


Title: THE LIFE OF BUDORI GUSUKO BLU-RAY
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 105 min.
Street Date: 3/27/2018
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $29.98

SYNOPSIS: Budori Gusuko's life was wonderful, living in the forest with his father, mother and younger sister. Then, the weather changed, the villagers he knew moved away, and tragedy stole his sister and parents from him. Forced to wander until he found another place to live, he again settled into a peaceful existence… until the weather changed, and it was all taken from him once again. Now, as he's grown older, Budori has found a job with people who study volcanoes, and when the weather starts to change again, Budori must make the biggest decision of his life. From the classic story by Kenji Miyazawa (NIGHT ON THE GALACTIC RAILROAD) comes an all-new animated masterpiece: THE LIFE OF BUDORI GUSUKO!

SECTION23 FILMS announces its FEBRUARY 2018 slate of releases

Home video distributor Section23 Films has announced its February slate of releases, which includes Sentai Filmworks’ otherworldly adventure series, FLIP FLAPPERS! The Complete Collection will be available on Blu-ray and a Limited Edition Premium Box Set.

Product details follow, in order of release.

Title: FOOD WARS! ~ THE SECOND PLATE
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 325 min.
Street Date: 2/13/2018
Format: BD, DVD, COMBO
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $99.98, $79.98, $199.98

SYNOPSIS: At the Tohtsuki Culinary Academy, the first rule is survival of the fittest, and if you don't have what it takes to become a master chef, you need to get out of the kitchen before you get burned. With the wheat of first-year students separated from the chaff, cocky former diner cook Yukihira Soma is one of the handful of kitchen whizzes still standing. As the next round of the Autumn Elections gets underway, can he survive a brutal bento boxing match with the chemistry-obsessed granddaughter of the Academy's director? And which of the other contenders; Megumi, Ryo, Akira, Hisako, Takumi or sinister dark-horse Subaru; will advance to fight for the gold medal? Get ready for another cut-throat season of eat, beat, and defeat in FOOD WARS! THE SECOND PLATE!


Title: GARO: KIBA - THE DARK KNIGHT! BLU-RAY
Published by: Kraken Releasing
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 50 min.
Street Date: 2/20/2018
Format: BD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $19.98

SYNOPSIS: He was born the child of a Makai Knight and a Makai Priestess. He trained to become a Makai Knight and fight the nightmarish creatures known as Horrors. Everything changed when the forces of evil intervened and stole everything he loved, the man who was once named Barago turned to a darker path. Learning to hate everything he once cherished, and twisting his oaths and armor to a new, sinister purpose, he makes a monstrous bargain with the ultimate Horror and betrays the Makai Knights! Now, in a spectacular stand-alone side adventure, the dark Genesis of one of GARO's most formidable villains is revealed in GARO: KIBA - THE DARK KNIGHT!


Title: NON NON BIYORI COMPLETE BLU-RAY
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 600 min.
Street Date: 2/20/2018
Format: BD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $79.98

SYNOPSIS: When Hotaru moves from Tokyo to a tiny town in the rural countryside, she's in for some serious culture shock: the nearest place that sells comics is 20 minutes away, the nearest video store is ten train stations down the line, and there are only three other girls and one boy in her entire school! Even though everything's so different, there's something about the laid-back atmosphere that makes her feel strangely comfortable. While she'll certainly miss parts of her old life, there's a whole lifetime of experiences waiting to be enjoyed with her new friends Renge, Komari, Natsumi, and Suguru! In the end, it's who you're with, not where you are, that makes a place your home in NON NON BIYORI and NON NON BIYORI REPEAT!


Title: FLIP FLAPPERS! COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 325 min.
Street Date: 2/27/2018
Format: BD, PBS
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $69.98, $149.98

SYNOPSIS: As a middle school student, Cocona has been trying to decide what to do with her life. Magical Girl, however, wasn't a career path that she'd ever considered. When suddenly a strange girl named Papika thrusts her into a secret organization called Flip Flap, Cocona's outlook does a radical flip-flop. Her views start to change when she is dragged into an alternate dimension called Pure Illusion where she's charged with gathering crystal shards and fighting strange creatures. Now, between running missions and facing off against a rival organization, Cocona doesn't have much time to consider alternate career choices. What are these shards, and why is gathering them so important? There's a mystery to be solved and multiple worlds to be saved in FLIP FLAPPERS!

SECTION23 FILMS announces its January 2018 slate of releases

 

Home video distributor Section23 Films has announced its January slate of releases which includes Sentai Filmworks’ premium box set for the “sleeper” comedy, Tanaka-kun is Always Listless, the anime adaptation of the popular web manga by Square Enix.

Product details follow, in order of release.

Title: KISSDUM R - ENGAGE PLANET COMPLETE COLLECTION BLU-RAY
Published by: Maiden Japan
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 650 min.
Street Date: 1/2/2018
Format: BD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $89.98

SYNOPSIS: The destruction of a cruise ship leaves thousands dead, but the body count is only beginning. As researchers try to make sense of the strange new fish and insects appearing around the world, scientist Rurika Yuno and the N.I.D.F. attempt to track down the source of the mutation, a mysterious artifact called the Book of The Dead. When the Book is finally located, all Hell breaks loose. Literally. As swarms of hellspawned fireflies and giant unearthly creatures attack mercilessly across the planet, Rurika is forced to use the Book to resurrect her dead lover, fighter pilot Aiba Shu. But can even humanity's last desperate line of defense - the Necrodiver - defeat an ancient evil whose only goal is to exterminate all mankind? The final war has begun in KISSDUM R - ENGAGE PLANET!


Title: NAISHO NO TSUBOMI COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 85 min.
Street Date: 1/9/2018
Format: DVD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $19.98

SYNOPSIS: Just as Tsubomi is getting ready to start the fifth grade, everything she thought she knew about her life suddenly starts to change. Not only has her mother just told her that she's about to become a big sister, but Tsubomi's been starting to feel a little strange herself and it seems that there's a lot more to growing up than she thought! Unfortunately, people's bodies don't come with owners' manuals, so Tsubomi will have to rely on advice from her friends at school and most of them don't know any more than she does. (Some of them are even BOYS!) Fortunately, there's that mysterious new transfer student, Saya, who seems to be a bit more knowledgeable, and with some help from Mom, Tsubomi just might make it through adolescence unscathed in NAISHO NO TSUBOMI!


Title: HAIKYU!! SEASON 2
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 625 min.
Street Date: 1/16/2018
Format: BD, DVD, COMBO
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $99.98, $79.98, $199.98

SYNOPSIS: The drama heats up, both on and off the volleyball court, as the rivalry between teammates Shoyo Hinata and Tobio Kageyama continues to develop in new and unexpected ways. After the team's dramatic setback in Inter-High Preliminaries, Karasuno gets the unexpected opportunity to go to a training camp in Tokyo alongside other top schools in the nation... including their rival team, Nekoma! In order to attend, though, the dynamic duo must pass their exams, and getting Hinata and Kageyama through that challenge will be the trial by fire for Hitoka Yachi, who could be joining Kiyoko Shimizu as a team manager. With the eyes of their opponents fixed on their progress, will it be the spark needed to get the team moving in the right direction? Passions burn, and tempers flare as the fuse is lit for HAIKYU!! SEASON 2!


Title: TYPHOON NORUDA BLU-RAY
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 26 min.
Street Date: 1/23/2018
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $19.98

SYNOPSIS: As an unexpected typhoon bears down on a small tropical island, a group of students trapped at school find themselves forced to put aside their personal issues and work together. Not only to save themselves, but possibly the lives of everyone on the planet! Because there's something very strange about this storm, and as the driving rain, hurricane-force winds and multiple lightning strikes threaten to tear their world apart, everything seems to revolve around a mysterious girl who appears as suddenly as the storm itself. Only hours before, Shuichi Azuma and Saijo Kunta were at each other's throats over baseball; now they'll have to join together to unravel the secret of the ultimate rider on the storm in TYPHOON NORUDA!


Title: TANAKA-KUN IS ALWAYS LISTLESS COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 300 min.
Street Date: 1/30/2018
Format: BD, DVD, COMBO
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $69.98, $59.98, $149.98

SYNOPSIS: Tanaka-kun can't help it. Put him someplace nice and warm, and he'll start nodding off, even in class or on the way to school. You would think that this would eat into Tanaka's social life, but, fortunately, our consciousness-challenged protagonist has a guardian angel in the form of his best friend Ota, a gentle giant who (literally) carries Tanaka from place to place. Then there's class-rep Shiraishi, who's convinced that Tanaka's unique perspective lets him see past her beautiful appearance; Miyano, their hyper pint-sized classmate who somehow becomes Tanaka's unwanted apprentice in listlessness; and Echizen, a self-proclaimed delinquent who's determined to fight him. As for Tanaka, being the center of attention is the last place he wants to be, but the world just won't leave him alone in TANAKA-KUN IS ALWAYS LISTLESS.

Animated neo-noir HAVE A NICE DAY to open in NY on January 26th

STRAND RELEASING

presents

Have a Nice Day / Hao ji le

Directed by LIU Jian

Music by The Shanghai Restoration Project

China, 2017, 77 minutes

In Mandarin with English subtitles

OFFICIAL SELECTION: Berlin international Film festival

2017 WINNER! BEST ANIMATED FEATURE- 54 GOLDEN HORSE AWARDS

Opens theatrically in New York on Friday, January 26th

with a national release to follow

Filmmaker Liu Jian cements his place as a pioneering force in independent Chinese animation with the whirlwind neo-noir HAVE A NICE DAY.

Synopsis:
A hard rain is about to fall on a small town in Southern China. In a desperate attempt to find money to save his fiancée's failed plastic surgery, Xiao Zhang, a humble driver, steals a bag containing 1 million Yuan from his boss. News of the robbery spreads fast within the town and, over the course of one night, everyone starts looking for Xiao Zhang and his money.

25th Anniversary Screening of PORCO ROSSO at Japan Society NY on Friday

Japan Society NY

Presents

Porco Rosso © 1992 Studio Ghibli—NN.

Porco Rosso / Kurenai no Buta

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Japan, 1992, 94 minutes

35mm, color, in Japanese with English subtitles

When: Friday, October 6, 2017 at 7:00 PM

Where: Japan Society NY

333 East 47th Street, NYC

Map

Tickets

An ace fighter pilot and ex-member of the Italian Air Force during WWI is mysteriously cursed with a pig's face. Disillusioned with humanity, he adopts the name Porco Rosso ("Crimson Pig") and spends his time near the Adriatic Sea, drinking at a local bar and fighting off air pirates for cash. Famous for his unsurpassable flying skills, Porco draws the envy and antagonism of an American pilot who plots to take him down with the help of the fascist Italian police. This sixth film by Hayao Miyazaki is among the master animator's most personal and underrated, highlighting his deep love for aviation and pacifist worldview within an action-adventure story perfect for adults and children alike. Screening in 35mm!

Part of Monthly Classics
Year-round screenings of beloved classics, hidden gems and recent discoveries of Japanese cinema. Only $5 for Japan society members!

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE HOME MEDIA RELEASE OF "NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: THE MOVIE - RASENGAN COLLECTION"

© 2002 MASASHI KISHIMOTO /2007 SHIPPUDEN © NMP 2010

Four Acclaimed Full-Length

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN Movies

In New Home Media Release Available

On Blu-Ray For The First Time

VIZ Media delivers action and edge of the seat anime excitement as it announces the home media release of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: THE MOVIE - RASENGAN COLLECTION on October 3rd.

The new set will be released in 4-disc DVD and Blu-ray editions and contain four complete full-length NARUTO anime feature films - NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: THE MOVIE, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: THE MOVIE - BONDS, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: THE MOVIE - THE WILL OF FIRE and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: THE MOVIE - THE LOST TOWER.

The NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: THE MOVIE - RASENGAN COLLECTION Blu-ray edition will carry an MSRP of $29.98 U.S. / $34.99 CAN. Films are presented in vivid 1080p High Definition with DTS Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 selections with both Japanese and English dubbed dialogue options. Notable bonus features for the Blu-ray edition include theatrical trailers for all of the films as well as a digital art gallery and a bonus NARUTO animated short.

The NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: THE MOVIE - RASENGAN COLLECTION DVD edition will carry an MSRP of $24.98 U.S. / $39.99 CAN. Films are presented with 16x9 video aspect ratio and audio selections for both Japanese and English dubbed dialogue options. Bonus features on the DVD set will include theatrical trailers, a digital art gallery and a bonus NARUTO animated short.

In NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: THE MOVIE (rated TV-14), a powerful spirit that once threatened to destroy the world is back! Naruto’s mission is to protect a priestess named Shion, which is the only one with the power to seal away the monster. She also has the uncanny ability to predict someone’s fate. Her latest prediction: Naruto will soon die. Naruto’s only hope is to abandon Shion, but that is not the young ninja’s style. He decides to face her fatal prediction head on – and die!

In NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: THE MOVIE - BONDS (rated TV-14), a group of mysterious flying ninja have arrived from overseas to launch a sudden attack against the Hidden Leaf Village, leaving behind a wake of destruction. The group is revealed to be the “Sky Ninja” from the Land of Sky, a nation thought to have been destroyed by the Hidden Leaf Village long ago. To save their village, Naruto and his friends set out to stop this new threat. During the course of the mission, Naruto crosses paths with Sasuke, his friend who has parted ways from the Leaf Village.

In NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: THE MOVIE - THE WILL OF FIRE (rated TV-14), four ninjas with Kekkei Genkai justsu abilities that have been guarding the Hidden Villages of Cloud, Stone, Mist and Sand mysteriously disappear from their respective villages. The Land of Fire comes under suspicion as it is the only country to have suffered no loss. Mounting suspicion among the four countries could potentially set off the 4th Great Ninja War. In the Hidden Leaf Village, Tsunade orders her men to keep strict guard and to try to find out what really happened. At the same time, it turns out that Kakashi has left the village. The bad news deeply disturbs Naruto and his friends.

In NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: THE MOVIE - THE LOST TOWER (rated TV-14), the Rogue Ninja Mukade is about to be caught by Naruto's team when he summons forth the power of the LeyLine - an ancient underground channel of chakra. Naruto gets caught up in the chakra and is sent back in time to the city of Loran, known for its thousand towers. There he encounters the future Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, on a top-secret mission, and the Queen of Loran, Sarah, whose rule is threatened by Mukade. Will Naruto be able to return to his own time, and can a chance encounter in the past save the future?

The NARUTO SHIPPUDEN feature films are based on the acclaimed NARUTO manga and animated series, following Naruto Uzumaki, who wants to be the best ninja in the land. He's done well so far, but Naruto knows he must train harder than ever and leaves his village for intense exercises that will push him to his limits. NARUTO SHIPPUDEN begins two and a half years later, when Naruto returns to find that everyone has been promoted up the ninja ranks – except him. Sakura’s a medic ninja, Gaara’s advanced to Kazekage, and Kakashi…well he remains the same. But pride isn’t necessarily becoming of a ninja, especially when Naruto realizes that Sasuke never returned from his search for Orochimaru. Plus, the mysterious Akatsuki organization is still an ever-present danger. As Naruto finds out more about the Akatsuki’s goals, he realizes that nothing in his universe is as it seems. Naruto is finding that he’s older, but will he also prove wiser and stronger?

VIZ Media is the North American master licensor for NARUTO and distributes the NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN anime series and feature films as well as publishes the bestselling NARUTO manga series in print and digital editions.

Additional information on NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN is available at VIZ.com/Naruto.

For more information on anime titles available from VIZ Media, visit VIZ.com.

L.O.R.D: LEGEND OF RAVAGING DYNASTIES is available today

Lionsgate

Presents

L.O.R.D: Legend of Ravaging Dynasties

Directed by Jingming Guo

Starring Fan Bingbing (Iron Man 3, X-Men: Days of Future Past),

Kris Wu ( xXx: Return of Xander Cage, The Mermaid), and

China/Cambodia, 2015, 118 minutes
Suggested Retail Price: $14.98

Qi Ling (Cheney Chen) is young tavern worker who joins forces with powerful warriors in L.O.R.D: Legend of Ravaging Dynasties, which arrives on DVD, Digital HD and On Demand today, Tuesday, September 26th from Lionsgate. (I'm not sure why there's no period after the "D" in the title; perhaps with the colon that follows, it was thought that two consecutive punctuation marks would be too much.)

The animated film, based on epic fantasy novels by Guo Jingming, features the voices of Kris Wu and Fan Bingbing as sorcerers battling an evil traitor in order to restore peace in an ancient kingdom.

The animation, which utilizes both computer animation and motion-capture, is by the visual effects team that worked on James Cameron’s Avatar and on Warcraft.

The human figures have elongated bodies and limbs, so the female ones look like animated versions of Chinese Victoria's Secret models. There are Spirit Beasts (such as a Winged-Lion), Blood Weapons (Resurrection Chains being one example) and other elements of the supernatural. Overall the animation is very good.

Disc Specs:
— Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital
— Subtitles
   — English
   — Spanish
   — Off
— Trailers - from other Lionsgate offerings, none for L.O.R.D.

The movie comes across as an animated Chinese variation of Lord of the Rings. Which brings me to the one issue I have. L.O.R.D: Legends of Ravaging Dynasties ends with the story-line hanging. Clearly one or more films is anticipated. According to its Wikipedia entry, the film opened well, but its "earnings fell significantly after its opening day due to poor word of mouth and competition from Operation Mekong".

I have found no indication that a sequel is in the works or even contemplated. So one may wind up paying for a film whose full story will not be told. Still, what we have here is well-worth watching. (And keep in mind that the Japanese classic live-action film Sword of Doom,1966, was intended as the first film in a trilogy that never materialized.)

AsianCineFest Rating: 3 out of 4 stars. Just bear in mind that there may never be a L.O.R.D: Legend of the Ravaging Dynasties, Part II (or III).

SENTAI FILMWORKS RAMPS UP “NO GAME NO LIFE ZERO” THEATRICAL RELEASE

SENTAI FILMWORKS RAMPS UP
“NO GAME NO LIFE ZERO”
THEATRICAL RELEASE
With Exclusive Premieres, Nationwide and International Rollout

After a highly successful Japanese domestic run, leading distributor of anime programming, Sentai Filmworks, announced that No Game No Life Zero is set to captivate North American audiences with exclusive premiere screenings in Los Angeles during the Los Angeles Anime Film Festival (LA-AFF). The English-subtitled U.S. premiere on Saturday, September 16, is already sold out, and the September 15 English-dub grand premiere is rapidly selling out. Immediately following the premieres, in partnership with distributors Azoland Pictures and Fathom Events, No Game No Life Zero will launch in more than 1,000 theaters across North America, with international showings to follow, making this one of the widest releases of its kind.

Already hailed as one of the best animated features to come out this year by Anime News Network, No Game No Life Zero takes place 6,000 years before the events in the television series. War has consumed the land, tearing apart the heavens, destroying stars, and even threatening to wipe out the human race. Amid the chaos and destruction, a young man named Riku leads humanity toward the tomorrow his heart believed in. One day, in the ruins of an Elf city, he meets Schwi, a female exiled “ex-machina” android, who asks him to teach her what it means to have a human heart.

“The world of No Game No Life already made a passionate impression on countless fans with the television series’ unique character dynamics and its core theme of the perseverance of the human spirit in the face of impossible circumstances,” said Sentai Filmworks President and CEO, John Ledford. “No Game No Life Zero takes those core elements and amplifies them exponentially. This film will resonate deeply with fans who love the franchise, and filmgoers who will experience a paradoxical world where nothing is certain, except perhaps the strength of the human heart.”

For ticketing, franchise, and event information, please visits NoGameNoLifeZero.com.