Eleven Arts Archives | Otaku No Culture

Blue Thermal Promises to Fly High in March!

Blue Thermal will make its home entertainment debut on Blu-ray and digital download from Eleven Arts and Shout! Factory, following its theatrical release.

Shout Factory
March 14, 2023

From the renowned animation powerhouse Telecom Animation Film (Lupin III movies, Orange) and director Masaki Tachibana (Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, Princess Principal, Barakamon) comes a captivating new anime adventure, Blue Thermal.

Produced by Telecom Animation Film, this movie directed by Tachibana from a screenplay written by Tachibana and Natsuko Takahashi (Farewell, My Dear Cramer), is the long-awaited feature film adaptation of author and creator Kana Ozawa’s popular manga series which ran in Shinchosha’s Monthly Comic @Bunch Magazine for many years before being published in five book volumes.

This artful and beautiful coming-of-age movie captures the tension and excitement of a young college student who joins the school’s aviation club flying for the first time, as well as the beauty and exhilaration of the aerial scenery as seen from the pilot’s seat. The film’s theme song “Blue Thermal” and the song “Beautiful Bird” are performed by the popular Japanese piano rock band SHE’S.

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About The House of the Lost on the Cape, Japanese Folklore and More in this Home Video Review

The House of the Lost on the Cape is not an impressive film title, but it gets to the point.

Eleven Arts and Shout! Factory
Available to purchase on Amazon USA

The animated adaptation of Sachiko Kashiwaba’s novel The House of the Lost on the Cape is sweet. Not only does it carefully touch upon recent events in a thoughtful manner, but also brings folklore to life, by revealing what its relationship is to the environment. The themes explored isn’t too different from what Studio Ghibli’s Pon Poko paraded in a town facing ecological devestation. Instead, the harmony is more reminescent from My Neighbour Totoro, and that’s why I took notice.

In this film’s case, the opening act recalls the devestation from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. The people who chose to stay in the Kitsunezaki region are just doing what they can to go on. But from the terror comes a chance for Yui (Mana Ashida) to leave home. She wasn’t happy because of constant family squabbles, and what we learn about this past is not always neatly explained. Sometime afterwards in her wanderings, she befriends another child, Hiyori (Sari Awano)–who lost her parents–and what they discover may well be a chance to learn how to live life to its fullest.

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Challenging Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis to the Unexpected. Decisions, Decisions….

At least the 3D CGI renders make Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis look respectable. It’s like following the North American adaptation of Astro-Boy.

Shout! Factory and Eleven Arts
Released July 5, 2022

Prince of Tennis’ new movie is all song and dance. Titled, Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis <Decide>, I wasn’t too sure about what to expect but when I’m a fan of musicals and West Side Story, it’s worth the watch. The drama examines the relationship between father and son, and dispenses with any sci-fi style elements to get to the chase.

To be honest, not many cinematic musicals about aiming for the top in some sport exist. While there’s many anime musicals set in different genres, to have an animated franchise annually releasing a work in this subgenre is much rarer. This 23-year-old franchise had regular stage shows, and this latest follows in that tradition.

This film continues the story of tennis prodigy Ryoma Echizen. He’s determined to take his game to the next level, but to do so means learning from the best. After he saves classmate Sakuno from some thugs (where two tennis balls collide like two atoms in a hadron collider), he’s magically transported to the past and meets his much younger parent. He knows that reveal himself is a bad idea, otherwise the timeline would unravel.

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Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis is a Deuce! Coming This Summer

Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis is a kinetic action anime adventure filled with humor, a high-energy storyline, and rousing musical numbers.

Crunchyroll - Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis CG Anime Film Hits Blu-ray on July 5 — **Available to pre-order on Amazon USA**

Eleven Arts and Shout! Factory
Coming to VOD and DVD:
July 5, 2022

Game, Set, Match! This summer, get ready as the tennis prodigy Ryoma Echizen and his friends will grand slam your heart in a thrilling new adventure. This cinematic adaptation is based on the blockbuster Japanese sports manga series and its sequels created by renowned manga author Takeshi Konomi.

With 60 million copies sold over 22 years, Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis is the first CG anime movie from this popular franchise. Featuring an all-new storyline with music and lyrics by Konomi and directed by Hiroshi Koujina (City Hunter, The Vampire Dies in No Time), this highly anticipated movie finally makes its long-awaited North American home entertainment debut following its nationwide theatrical release.

Available for the first time in North America, the collectible Blu-ray + DVD combo pack boasts an exciting movie presentation (featuring English audio and Japanese audio with English subtitles) with special bonus content – Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis edition. This is the full-length alternative cut of the movie that includes different scenes featuring Hyotei team captain Keigo Atobe and Shitenhoji team captain Kuranosuke Shiraishi.

A definitive entertainment release that will score well with anime and pop culture enthusiasts and collectors, this title is available for pre-order now at ShoutFactory.com and will be available in stores and other fine retailers.

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The Secrets Are Revealed in Poupelle in Chimney Town’s Home Video Release

Poupelle in Chimney Town’s adventures are far from over, and this home video release reveals plans on where it can go! Worth picking up for those enamoured with this world.

Poupelle of Chimney Town Blu-Ray & DVD Cover — Available to preorder on Amazon USA

Shout Factory
Release Date: May 31, 2022

Poupelle in Chimney Town (映画えんとつ町のプペル) will soon be available on home video, and if the bonus material is any indication, his adventures are far from over. This highly anticipated release is available to stream (Amazon Prime), but my money is on the physical release. It has everything for fans to fawn over and it comes with a nice mini booklet to introduce and explain what this story is all about–a young man daring to dream.

There might be plans for a 4K release down the road, but there’s no official news yet. I can see this film shine with a higher resolution release. There’s a lot of detail to appreciate, and when it’s been wholly animated in CGI, I like to know who those figures are in the background. In what’s offered in this blu-ray version is crisp. The original 5.1 sonic presentation is perfect.

I read more into this movie and expressed it in my article, “From Book to Film and Beyond Poupelle in Chimney Town!” and in what I understood, it’s also about not letting the past get the better of you. The tale is also comparable to the themes explored in the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from Wizard of Oz after I finished watching the bonus material.

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