Category: Japanese

Romeo’s Blue Skies Blu-ray Review: Why This Inspirational Anime Still Shines

Fans of World Masterpiece Theatre will delight in Romeo’s Blue Skies, now available on Blu-ray from MedicOCD/Animeigo’s Ruined Childhoods label.

Romeo's Blue Skies Bluray CaseFans of World Masterpiece Theatre’s series will find much to laugh, cry, and reflect on in Romeo’s Blue Skies. This second release from MedicOCD and Animeigo’s Ruined Childhoods label is a must-have for fans of Japanese adaptations of Western literary classics. After decades of hunting down VHS tapes or low-resolution downloads, I’m thrilled to finally have a clean, high-quality release. Early fan-subbed versions were incomplete or low fidelity, making this Blu-ray a long-awaited treasure.

Based on the 1941 novel Die Schwarzen Brüder (“The Black Brothers,” Amazon link) by Lisa Tetzner and Kurt Held, the story follows a kind-hearted boy growing up in 19th-century Switzerland. When his family falls into poverty, he is forced to sell himself to a man known as Luini, the “God of Death.” Instead of despair, his optimism and courage give the series a uniquely inspirational tone. Experiencing the story visually in full made it far more impactful than reading alone.

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Sasuke (1968) Brings Its Historic Ninja Tale to North American Blu-ray for the First Time

AnimEigo and MediaOCD bring the historic 1968 anime Sasuke to North America for the first time. Restored from original film elements and featuring a new English dub, this collection showcases a gripping ninja tale set during Japan’s Sengoku period. Fans of historical drama and classic anime can now experience this influential series in full.

Sasuke Bluray Cover
Available to preoder on Amazon USA

Release Date: October 14, 2025

AnimEigo and parent company MediaOCD remain dedicated to preserving classic works of animation. Their next major release is the historic 1968 anime series Sasuke, arriving this fall. While the series has long been celebrated across South Asia, this marks the first time North American audiences can properly experience it in its entirety. Fans of historical and character-driven drama will find much to appreciate in this milestone release.

Restored from its original film elements, Sasuke is being presented as a complete collection. This edition features not only a carefully produced subtitle track, but also a newly recorded English dub created specifically for this release—making it accessible to both purists and new viewers alike.

From the Press Release:

Directed by Kiyoshi Onishi and based on the manga by Sanpei Shirato, Sasuke follows the harrowing life of a young ninja during Japan’s Sengoku period, one of the nation’s most turbulent and violent eras. Unlike many productions of its time, the series did not shy away from dark themes—war, vengeance, survival, and the crushing cost of loyalty. Its stark depictions of violence and the struggles of a child ninja set it apart from other works of the late 1960s.

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AnimEigo Secures A Time Slip of 10,000 Years: Prime Rose To Release Next Year!

Osamu Tezuka’s A Time Slip of 10,000 Years: Prime Rose is finally surfacing, or rather, coming to North America!

A Time Slip of 10,000 Years: Prime RoseAnime fans have reason to celebrate: AnimEigo is bringing a legendary classic to home media. The distributor revealed its latest acquisition during its panel at Anime NYC, promising an HD Blu-ray release of the fantasy adventure A Time Slip of 10,000 Years: Prime Rose. Collectors and longtime anime enthusiasts alike will have a chance to experience one of  Osamu Tezuka’s most imaginative works in high definition.

From The Press Release:

Osamu Tezuka is widely celebrated as the “Godfather of Manga,” and is renowned for revolutionizing the Japanese manga and anime industries with his imaginative characters, pioneering storytelling techniques, and prolific output, which included more than 700 manga works and 500 anime episodes, including groundbreaking works like Astro Boy, Princess Knight, and Kimba the White Lion.

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Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01 Blasts Back onto Blu-ray

The cult 1987 mecha OVA Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01 returns on Blu-ray with reauthored content, crisp 1080p visuals, and a trove of bonus features including director commentary and cast interviews. Fans can relive Tokyo-smashing action and discover behind-the-scenes insights from Shinji Aramaki’s iconic production.

Metal Skin Panic Madox-01 PosterThe 80s were a golden era for anime, and one title that earned a lot of love in club screenings was Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01, often mentioned alongside Bubblegum Crisis and Akira. What set it apart back then was the focus on manic, relentless action, and this anime—directed by Shinji Aramaki—delivered it in spades. As one of AnimEigo’s early Western releases, many of us, myself included, grabbed this original video animation. Now it’s making a comeback, thanks to MediaOCD!

Aramaki, the visionary behind Appleseed, Harlock: Space Pirate, and Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2045, packs 41 minutes of turbo-charged mecha chaos into MADOX-01, blending comedy and Tokyo-wide property destruction into a surprisingly compact thrill ride.

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Evangelion 1.11 & 2.22 Equal an October 21, 2025 Blu-ray and Digital Release

GKIDS brings the first two Rebuild of Evangelion films to North America in special editions featuring collectible booklets and bonus features.

Evangelion 1.11 Movie PosterGKIDS

Although the release order of the Evangelion movies to home video is unusual—since 3.0+1.11 was offered before 1.11 and 2.22—math is not required to figure out what’s going on. It’s simply explained by this definition: 2.0 is the unedited theatrical version, 3.33 is a tweaked version for home video release.

What’s coming will allow fans to see them all in sequential order and these editions are available for purchase in North America. GKIDS has unveiled details for the October 21 Blu‑ray™ releases of Evangelion: 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone (part one) and Evangelion: 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance (part two). Each release includes bonus features, with a 16‑page booklet included inside You Are (Not) Alone and a 20‑page booklet inside You Can (Not) Advance. Both films will also be available on all major digital platforms starting September 16.

From the Press Release:

Created by Hideaki Anno, the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise is considered one of the most influential animated sagas of all time. Since the original series premiered in 1995, the story of teenager Shinji Ikari has become a landmark in animation and global pop culture. The saga was later reimagined as the Evangelion movie series, beginning with You Are (Not) Alone (2007), followed by You Can (Not) Advance (2009), Evangelion: 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo (2012), and culminating in the finale Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time.

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Dungeons and Television’s Hilarious Debut At Fantasia Film Festival 2025 Will Want You Posing Too!

Set to release on YouTube next month, Dungeons and Television is fast-paced, charming series about dungeon livestreaming in a way where why isn’t that reporter running away from that dragon!?!?

Dungeons and Television PosterDungeons and Television is one of the standout new series introduced at Fantasia Film Festival, and what’s presented is merely a teaser. When the festival also becomes a launchpad for fresh shows, there’s more than one title I’m already tuning in to. Another is Night of the Living Cat, which is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and you can catch my review of the first two episodes here; Fantasia hosted a theatrical screening of episodes three and four (highly recommended—the plot finally thickens).

As for this fantasy series, this made-for-the-web anime will arrive next month on YouTube. Although I can’t find an official channel, I’m sure that’ll quickly be live very soon, and as soon as I know, I’ll posted updates! In this world, the discovery of the vacuum tube has reshaped life in the kingdom of The Grand Half-Moon Cauldron, turning once-mythic dungeons into hotspots for exploration and opportunity. The setup feels very Dungeons & Dragons-inspired, and that’s definitely a plus.

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