Celebrating An Anime X-mas with GKIDS and Shout! Studios In This Look Back of 2024 Releases

Shout! Studios and GKIDS have certainly kept busy with releasing some top hits this year, and in this roundup is a list of our favourites to consider for the gift-giving season. While some folks opt for an anime X-mas, others have their own traditions. Also, we got news about one wintery treat for next year.

We have also included reviews where possible, since they released earlier this year.

THE BOY AND THE HERON (4K) & REVIEW

Studio Ghibli’s latest release is Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal film to date! We’ve seen it on the big screen and to watch it again on the small screen with all the bonus material made me appreciate this movie more. For my original review, please check it out here.

There’s details that aren’t as well known, and what’s revealed here are featurettes to truly understand what went on.

This new release offers a 4K transfer with a superior color palette compared to previous works (which lacked an ultra-HD release), and it’s almost tempting for collectors like me to upgrade to the latest video format rather than keep them all. I began with region 2 DVDs, which I still own, and then blu-ray happened.

ARCANE LEAGUE OF LEGENDS: SEASON ONE
[Limited Edition Steelbook] (4K UHD)

Anyone who loves League of Legends will want to dive right in with Arcane! This video game made by Riot Games is massive, and I have yet to finish it. But in the meantime, I can watch what goes on with League champions Vi and Jinx. They are the major players who are caught in a power struggle between two cities.

This collector’s set is sure to please most fans, and on blu-ray are over three hours of bonus features.

EVANGELION:3.0+1.11
THRICE UPON A TIME & REVIEW

Although there’s no collected release yet of the films that make up this rebuild, fans can still pick up the series in pieces and work backwards. You can read our article here or view our unboxing video (see below)

In this latest, “Misato and her anti-NERV group Wille arrive at Paris, a city now red from core-ization. Crew from the flagship Wunder land on a containment tower. They only have 720 seconds to restore the city.

“When a horde of NERV Evas appear, Mari’s improved Eva Unit 8 must intercept. Meanwhile, Shinji, Asuka, and Rei (Provisional Name) wander about Japan.”

GREAT PRETENDER:
THE COMPLETE SERIES
[DELUXE EDITION]

Freddie Mercury need not worry about Makoto Edamura stealing that title, but when he’s after random individuals for their money, what he wants is something else! It’s a series that’s worth checking, and yes, the producers acknowledge this track as it’s part of the ending credits.

This 5-Disc Blu-ray collection comes housed in a fancy slipcase and collects all 23 thrilling episodes, insightful bonus features, 10 stunning art cards, a double-sided poster, and a 192-page art book! Anyone who has seen this series in full back when it first released will find this release all the better with the latter. They don’t come often with series releases, but when they do, picking up the set is worth every penny, and not even Edamura can steal that away.

A PLACE FURTHER
THAN THE UNIVERSE:
THE COMPLETE SERIES

Coming 2025-04-29

This coming of age tale about Mari Tamaki who wants to enjoy her life faces challenges. She’s only in her second year of high school, and anxiety sets her back! It all changes when she meets Shirase, and the adventure gets a little more than crazy, since she wants to travel to Antarctica of all places! This series is available to view on Crunchyroll, but in what makes me interested about the series is the slight winter theme, and

is a second-year high school student who wants to make the most out of her youth but is usually too afraid to do so.[7] One day, she meets Shirase Kobuchizawa, a girl who has been saving up to travel to Antarctica, where her mother disappeared three years ago.[citation needed] Joined by two other girls, Hinata Miyake and Yuzuki Shiraishi, they join an expedition headed towards the Antarctic.[8]

Non Anime Titles for This
Anime X-mas from Shout!
(Honourable Mention)

LABYRINTH (Limited Edition Collector’s Set)

The lavish offering of LABYRINTH Limited Edition Collector’s Set contains a glass crystal ball with interior 3D-etching of the movie title, a wooden labyrinth-style base for display, five art cards, a 28-page book with new essay, production stills, concept art by Brian Froud, a collectible sticker, a payload of bonus content, and sparkling 4K UHD™ and Blu-ray™ of LABYRINTH. All are packaged in an awe-inspiring box with wrap-around art featuring original concept art from the movie and a lid flap that opens to a window display of the crystal ball.

LABYRINTH, starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly, was originally released in 1986. The film is an unforgettable fantasy adventure that follows Sarah Williams (Connelly) as she makes her way through the labyrinth of the Goblin King Jareth (Bowie) in search of her little brother Toby.

THE DARK CRYSTAL (Limited Edition Collector’s Set)

Collectors and loyal fans will rejoice over THE DARK CRYSTAL Limited Edition Collector’s Set, which includes a glass replica of the shard (1:1) from the movie, five art cards, a 28-page book with a new essay, production stills, concept art by Brian Froud, a collectible sticker, insightful bonus content, and stunning 4K UHD™ and Blu-ray™ of THE DARK CRYSTAL. All are housed in a gorgeous box with wrap-around art featuring original concept art from the movie and a lid flap that opens to a window display of the chard.

From the brilliant imagination of Jim Henson, this puppetry work of genius recounts the timeless tales of good versus evil, becoming a cult favorite around the world. Travel back in time to the faraway planet of Thra where evil Skeksis are in control and the Gelfling Jen, the last of his kind, is sent on a quest by the peaceful Mystics to find the missing shard that will restore balance and heal the world.