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.

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

Before TRON Ares and Beyond: A Complete Guide with 6 Must-Read Features

Step back into the neon world of TRON before TRON Ares arrives. From classic films to iconic games and key news, this guide covers everything fans need to know. Get ready to relive the Grid and all the highlights that made the franchise legendary.

Before TRON Ares, There Was TRONBefore TRON Ares arrives, it’s worth remembering how this franchise first lit up the silver screen in 1982. The neon-soaked world of the Grid has long been a playground for dreamers, gamers, and tech-heads. Whether you came for the lightcycle battles, the philosophical undertones, or the Daft Punk beats, TRON has left a lasting mark on pop culture.

Here at Otakunoculture, we’ve been chasing that beam of light for years—from deep dives into the films, to retro gaming retrospectives, to speculation on where the series is headed next. Think of this article as your personal I/O Tower for all things TRON.


The Films & Reviews

Tron Original Movie Poster

The Games

TRON 2.0 Videogame Xbox

News & Features


Keep Your Identity Disc Spinning Before TRON Ares

We’ll keep updating this hub as The Grid evolves — whether that means new games, park news, or the long-awaited arrival of TRON Ares. Before that next chapter begins, there’s plenty of history to revisit, from classic arcade battles to the philosophical sparks that made this franchise unique. If you’ve got your own theories or TRON trivia to share, drop them in the comments on any of these articles.

After all… the Game Grid is always more fun with players. In the future, we have more to discuss.

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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.

Continue reading “Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01 Blasts Back onto Blu-ray”

Baby Assassins Franchise – Friendship, Mayhem, and the Future of Japan’s Funniest Hitwomen

In what makes the Baby Assassins franchise unique is its blend of over-the-top action with sitcom absurdities, showing how Mahiro and Chisato juggle odd jobs, bills, and bullets. And we talk about its spin-off TV series too!

Baby Assassins Franchise - Third Film Bluray CaseWell GO USA
Check out the reviews for the second flick, Babies, and the third one, Nice Days.

Now that Yugo Sakamoto’s Baby Assassins 3 is available on home video in North America, watching all three films back-to-back shows just how uniquely fun this franchise has become. Better still, the story isn’t finished. It’s not over yet for the Baby Assassins franchise!; a 12-episode spin-off mini-series aired on TV Tokyo in September 2024. It is available for import through YesAsia, but without English subtitles, leaving fans to hope the North American distributor will secure international rights.

What makes the series stand out is its mix of action, deadpan and comedy. Imagine Laverne and Shirley—if they were professional killers. That’s the dynamic between Mahiro (Saori Izawa) and Chisato (Akari Takaishi). One is outgoing and impulsive, while the other is more laid back and prefers to avoid action unless persuaded. Their partnership feels like a live-action twist on the “girls with guns” formula, with classics such as Dirty Pair and Noir serving as touchstones. The franchise succeeds because these stories balance buddy-cop banter with constant clashes against the criminal underworld, keeping the familiar tropes fresh.

Continue reading “Baby Assassins Franchise – Friendship, Mayhem, and the Future of Japan’s Funniest Hitwomen”

Baby Assassins 3 Is Finally Coming to Home Video!

Baby Assassins 3 is headed to North America to satisfy fans of the girls with guns genre, and they got some biggums here!

Baby Assassins 3 Nice DaysWell GO USA
Release Date: August 26 

After Baby Assassins 3 successful run last year at Fantasia Film Festival, Well GO USA is finally releasing this killer action movie to home video! It’s a fun ride to chart what’s next in the relationship between Akari Takaishi (Chisato Sugimoto) and Saori Izawa (Mahiro Fukagawa), and our movie review can be read here. These girls may seem like today’s answers to the Dirty Pair from long ago, but they have other issues that go beyond being trained by professionals to be the best trouble consultants, often hired to take down targets for one reason or another!

Writer/Director Sakamoto Yugo (A Janitor) and action director Sonomura Kensuke (Ghost Killer) return to keep this franchise going, and in this latest chapter, what they have to deal with isn’t too hard to follow. Continue reading “Baby Assassins 3 Is Finally Coming to Home Video!”

MediaOCD Prepares Romeo’s Blue Skies For Mid-Summer Release

Perseverance and hope are two key themes wonderfully explored in Romeo’s Blue Skies and for those who missed the broadcast run, it’s coming to home video!

Romeo's Blue Skies DVD Cover
Also available to preorder on Amazon USA

Anime distributor AnimEigo and parent company MediaOCD announced today the home media Blu-ray release of the anime series Romeo’s Blue Skies on July 29th. And for fans of the 1941 Swiss novel “Die Schwarzen Brüder” (“The Black Brothers”), by Lisa Tetzner, this adaptation is quite the emotional journey. This second release under the new Ruined Childhood label shows there’s plenty of classics to go around, and after Nobody’s Boy Remi (review link), perhaps it’s best to stock up with plenty of boxes of tissue nearby!

From the Press Release:

One of the best loved installments in Nippon Animation’s legendary World Masterpiece Theater line of TV series that spanned generations, Romeo’s Blue Skies makes its North American debut in a remastered wide-screen edition. This 33-episode series was produced in 1995 by Nippon Animation and was directed by Kozo Kusuba with screenplay by Michiru Shimada and character designs by Yoshiharu Soto.

Pre-orders are available now at:

https://www.mediaocd.com/romeos-blue-skies

When You’re Feeling Sad
and Lonely, Look to the Sky

Romeo, a poor kid living in a Swiss village, bravely sells himself into servitude as a chimney sweep to save his family. On his way to Milan, he meets a mysterious boy named Alfredo, and they become fast friends. Life as a chimney sweep is hard and dangerous. But together, and with the help of some new friends – the “Black Brothers” – Romeo and Alfredo find themselves striving for a better life.

Romeo's Blue Sky Still

A Series That Captivated The World

Romeo’s Blue Skies was never released in English. American broadcasters deemed it too emotional for domestic audiences. But worldwide it was loved and was broadcast in Italy, Spain, Morocco, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Qatar, Indonesia, South Korea, Bahrain, Iran, and U.A.E.

​Anime fans are invited to discover why this gem is still beloved 30 years after its original broadcast.

Romeo’s Blue Skies Blu-Ray Features:

$59.95 USD (SRP)
33-Episode Series Remastered in HD Widescreen
Series Presented in Original 4×3 SD
Clean Opening and Ending (SD)
Original TV Promos (SD)

1080p / Japanese 2.0 Stereo DTS Master Audio / English Subtitles / 3 discs / dual layer / AVC @ 17 MBPS / Region Free

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