Tag: Blu-ray Release

The Dagger of Kamui Blu-ray Offers a Powerful Revival of a Cult Favourite

AnimEigo is bringing The Dagger of Kamui to Blu-ray with a cleaned-up remaster, new extras, and a long-overdue spotlight on a classic anime adventure.

The Dagger of Kamui Blu-Ray ArtRelease Date: April 7, 2026
Available to pre-order on Amazon USA

At long last, The Dagger of Kamui is getting a Blu-ray release. Fans of this classic should be pleased to see it receiving a cleaned-up remaster, and the trailer already makes a strong impression. AnimEigo and parent company MediaOCD are also going the extra mile with a newly recorded featurette, and for those familiar with the manga, this release offers a chance to revisit its cinematic adaptation in style.

From the Press Release:

The 1985 film is based on a series of novels written by Tetsu Yano and follows Jiro, an orphan who trained as a ninja and uses a special dagger to seek revenge against a priest for killing his adoptive family. During his quest, he uncovers a conspiracy involving hidden treasure, Ainu heritage, and a journey to the American Old West. Directed by the legendary Rintaro (Kimba The White Lion, Galaxy Express 999, Astro Boy Metropolis) and produced by the famed anime studio Madhouse, THE DAGGER OF KAMUI is a must-see for action fans. It also features the work of the acclaimed art director Mukuo Takamura (Adieu Galaxy Express 999, Sailor Moon).

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Black Jack — The Complete OVA is Set To Strike This December!

Osamu Tezuka’s legendary surgeon returns to the operating table as MediaOCD revives Black Jack — The Complete OVA Series in HD. Directed by Osamu Dezaki, this moody, gothic medical drama cuts deep into questions of morality, justice, and the human soul.

MediaOCDBlack Jack BD Cover has two animated works based on Osamu Tezuka’s past catalogue that will hit home video next year. There’s Black Jack — The Complete OVA Series which will release Dec 16, and sometime next year, A Time Slip of 10,000 Years: Prime Rose, as previously reported.

In revisiting this series, it’s hard not to think of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Both characters are outcasts wielding their instruments of precision—scalpels and razors—as tools of both justice and transgression. Where Sweeney’s craft descends into vengeance, Tezuka’s rogue surgeon walks a more ambiguous line, dissecting not only flesh but the moral anatomy of humanity itself. The OVA’s moody, surgical-gothic tone channels the same sense of tragic artistry—each operation a question of what it truly means to save a life.

From the Press Release:

A riveting “Dr. House meets the X-Files” style medical drama based on the bestselling 1970s manga series by Osamu Tezuka, the Black Jack OVAs depict the adventures of a mysterious but extraordinarily talented physician who solves the most challenging medical cases…for a price. These episodes expanded the popular Black Jack anime franchise and were directed by the legendary Osamu Dezaki, a cofounder of Studio Madhouse. The OVAs were celebrated for breathtaking animation, drama, and use of innovative directing techniques.

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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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[Interview] Steve Kostanski on Frankie Freako and The Love for Makeup FX!

“As much as I wanted to have way more elaborate stuff in Frankie Freako, puppet wise, the bottom line is it needed to be janky…” said Steve Kostanski.

Steve Kostanski and Frankie
Frankie Freako is available to purchase on Amazon USA.

Steve Kostanski always loved the magic that film offered at an early age, and when he was creating stop motion films in the garage, little would he know it would lead to a career in the special effects industry. While some people think of him as part of the Astron-6 collective, where they create 80s-centric, no-budget, mixed-genre movies, they have done independent works too, like this filmmaker has with Freddie Freako, to realise they’re a tight group says it all. His name is also there in The Void and Manborg, where he has co-director credit.

His efforts are to be commended since he loves the medium; he watched shows like Mega Movie Magic (1997-2004) on Discovery Channel to learn how film effects were created back then. And on that fateful day where he and his buddies saw Army of Darkness, he knew what he would do for the rest of his life!

“That was when it really clicked,” said Kostanski, as I interviewed him via Zoom. “For me, it seemed like they were normal guys having fun goofing around; except somehow it became accessible. What they made stopped being this nebulous idea from Hollywood and that led to me to seriously want to make it in the film industry.

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When Megazone 23 Gets an Explosive, Shiny Update!

The late 80s and 90s was a good time for anime and music to really shine. Megazone 23 may well be the best from this era and it’s getting released anew for fans to enjoy the trilogy as its meant to!

Megazone 23 Blu-rayRelease Date: November 12th.
Pre-order this title here.

Megazone 23 is a series that has a special place in my heart, and I’m very excited an updated collector’s edition is being released by Media OCD/AnimEigo. Not only was the soundtrack phenomenal, but also it paved the way to help make anime mainstream. The compositions scored by Shirō Sagisu still holds up today, and he’s better known for other series like Evangelion and Berserk.

Also, anyone who loves Mikimoto Haruhiko’s art will most likely say he was on his A-game during this era! That’s because a lot of his watercolour works were used to help promote many a series. From Macross to Gunbuster, his style had a quality which is beautiful to look at.

Production-wise, this series created by Noboru Ishiguro and Hiroyuki Hoshiyama (Artland/Tatsunoko) has lots to like. I believe it was the first to introduce virtual idols to the cyberpunk anime genre, and in North America, Carl Macek took notice. He spliced bits and pieces of this series to create Robotech the Movie. That was not as well received as the original. Continue reading “When Megazone 23 Gets an Explosive, Shiny Update!”