The folks at Sentai Filmworks are sending a bit of love to the anime fans today by releasing the list of what’s on tap from the studio come May 2012. The start of the summer season hsa them bringing out some interesting works and some re-releases as well. On the new side of things, we get the first set of Psychic Squad, The Book of Bantorra, Planzet and the Gintama movie. And the last two are getting both a DVD and Blu-ray release, so we know the dubs are there. In addition to that, they’ve got their first release of Get Backers under the label and it’s a release of the whole massive thing, some 1225 minutes worth for just $60. This is a phenomenal price and is a very easy pickup to check out and enjoy with what it will be discounted to. On the re-release side, we’ve got Guin Saga which is being made into both DVD and Blu-ray complete collections are decent pricing considering the amount of content and the relative freshness of it all.
You can find recent news on these properties at these links: book of bantorra, get backers, gintama, guin saga, planzet, psychic squad
Coming May 2012
Title: PSYCHIC SQUAD COLLECTION 1
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 325 min.
Street Date: 5/1/2012
Format: DVD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $49.98
SYNOPSIS: They’re cute, adorable and three of the most powerful Espers the world has ever seen: Kaoru, the brash psychokinetic who can move objects with her mind; Shiho, the sarcastic and dark natured psychometric able to pick thoughts from people’s minds and read the pasts of inanimate objects like a book; and Aoi, the most collected and rational of the three, who has the ability to teleport herself and the others at will. So what to do with these potential psychic monsters in the making? Enter B.A.B.E.L., the Base of Backing ESP Laboratory, where hopefully “The Children” and others like them can become part of the answer to an increasing wave of psychic evolution. It’s a win-win solution… Unless you’re Koichi Minamoto, the overworked young man stuck with the unenviable task of field commanding a team of three pre-teen girls! Will Koichi survive the experience? Will the PLANET survive the experience? Find out as the girls get meta-physical in the first totally mental collection of PSYCHIC SQUAD!
Title: GUIN SAGA COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 650 min.
Street Date: 5/8/2012
Format: DVD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $79.98
SYNOPSIS: On the run from an army that destroyed their kingdom, the twin heirs to the Parros throne must avoid a magical land filled with incredible dangers. They are surrounded on all sides-by warring armies, an apelike tribe of desert creatures called the Sem, and the ruthless Langon clan. Giant sandworms, glowing, malevolent creatures, and powerful wizards mastering in the dark arts threaten them at every turn. If they were alone, they would surely perish. But in a dark forest, they are discovered by a mysterious stranger, a powerful warrior wearing a cursed leopard mask he cannot remove. His name…is Guin. He becomes their protector and companion, though he remembers nothing of his life before meeting these young runaways. Together, they begin a treacherous quest to find safety for the royal twins-and the answers to Guin’s secret origins. Based on the bestselling novels, this magical, animated epic is now available in one complete, sweeping set!
Title: GUIN SAGA COMPLETE COLLECTION BLU-RAY
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 650 min.
Street Date: 5/8/2012
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $89.98
SYNOPSIS: On the run from an army that destroyed their kingdom, the twin heirs to the Parros throne must avoid a magical land filled with incredible dangers. They are surrounded on all sides-by warring armies, an apelike tribe of desert creatures called the Sem, and the ruthless Langon clan. Giant sandworms, glowing, malevolent creatures, and powerful wizards mastering in the dark arts threaten them at every turn. If they were alone, they would surely perish. But in a dark forest, they are discovered by a mysterious stranger, a powerful warrior wearing a cursed leopard mask he cannot remove. His name…is Guin. He becomes their protector and companion, though he remembers nothing of his life before meeting these young runaways. Together, they begin a treacherous quest to find safety for the royal twins-and the answers to Guin’s secret origins. Based on the bestselling novels, this magical, animated epic is now available in one complete, sweeping set!
Title GET BACKERS COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 1225 min.
Street Date: 5/8/2012
Format: DVD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $59.98
SYNOPSIS: Whether it’s a favorite stuffed animal, a priceless painting or even your last shred of hope, if someone’s taken it from you, Ban and Ginji will get it back. They’re the Get Backers, an expert “recovery” service. And they’ll retrieve what’s been stolen, no matter what it is or who took it. Of course, with Ban’s special “Evil Eye” and Ginji’s lightning strike capability, they’ve got a head start on the crooks. No job is too big, no job is too small. At least not until they pay off their tab at the local coffee shop. Its 49 episodes of non-stop action. It’s the Get Backers Complete Collection – don’t let anyone take yours!
Title: THE BOOK OF BANTORRA COLLECTION 1
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 325 min.
Street Date: 5/15/2012
Format: DVD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $59.98
SYNOPSIS: In another time and place, on a world of pain and sorrow, when someone dies, their soul doesn’t go to Heaven or Hell – it becomes a book. A book that reveals the deceased’s innermost secrets… and can be read by anyone. Protecting these priceless treasures is the elite organization known as the Armed Librarians. It’s their job to keep the books and the knowledge within them safe from those who would misuse or destroy them. It’s a tough, dangerous job, so Chief Librarian Hamyuts Maseta recruits only the best and the brightest psychics to join her team of expert fighters. But will they be good enough to stop the fanatics of the Shindeki Church from wrecking vengeance on the entire world? Only time will tell, but that book hasn’t been written yet. Don’t miss the non-stop action of The Book of Bantorra Collection 1!
Title: PLANZET
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 53 min.
Street Date: 5/22/2012
Format: DVD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $29.98
SYNOPSIS: In 2047, an unknown, alien life-form descends upon the Earth, destroying all the major cities in one fell swoop. The survivors unite and build a Diffusor to stop the Februus, the invaders the military would later codename the FOS, and a temporary peace is achieved. Jump forward to 2053, the present. A last, desperate counterattack is being mounted against the enemy. Hiroshi Akishima, soldier in the Planetary Defense Forces Alliance, would like nothing better than a shot at the aliens responsible for his father’s death six years ago. However, the new offensive requires the Diffusor to be dropped, leaving the entire planet terribly vulnerable once more. Will humanity regain the stars or lose everything in the final, ultimate gamble?
Title: PLANZET BLU-RAY
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 53 min.
Street Date: 5/22/2012
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $39.98
SYNOPSIS: In 2047, an unknown, alien life-form descends upon the Earth, destroying all the major cities in one fell swoop. The survivors unite and build a Diffusor to stop the Februus, the invaders the military would later codename the FOS, and a temporary peace is achieved. Jump forward to 2053, the present. A last, desperate counterattack is being mounted against the enemy. Hiroshi Akishima, soldier in the Planetary Defense Forces Alliance, would like nothing better than a shot at the aliens responsible for his father’s death six years ago. However, the new offensive requires the Diffusor to be dropped, leaving the entire planet terribly vulnerable once more. Will humanity regain the stars or lose everything in the final, ultimate gamble?
Title: GINTAMA THE MOTION PICTURE
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 95 min.
Street Date: 5/29/2012
Format: DVD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $29.98
SYNOPSIS: Odd Jobs Gin has taken on a lot of odd work in the past, and when you’re a Jack of All Trades agency based in a feudal Japan that’s been conquered and colonized by aliens, the term “Odd Jobs” means REALLY ODD jobs. But when some more than slightly suspicious secrets from the shadows of Gintoki Sakata’s somewhat shady former samurai past and a new pair of odd jobs collide, the action is bound to get so wild and demented that only a feature film will do it justice! So, if you’ve had the good fortune to see Gintama, Japan’s most popular science fiction samurai series before, get ready for more of the same on an epic scale! And if you haven’t seen Gintama before, well, this is your quick and easy introduction to why Gintama (the series) is the hottest thing to hit the Land of the Rising Sun since a certain large, green reptile whose name we can’t use due to certain litigious lawyers! So sit down, strap yourself in and make sure you’re not wearing anything too tight or constricting as the junior half of OJG takes on the task of tracking down a tenacious terrorist while their silver-haired slickster of a partner seeks out a certain sword in the stunningly side-splitting screwy GINTAMA!
Title: GINTAMA THE MOTION PICTURE BLU-RAY
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 95 min.
Street Date: 5/29/2012
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $39.98
SYNOPSIS: Odd Jobs Gin has taken on a lot of odd work in the past, and when you’re a Jack of All Trades agency based in a feudal Japan that’s been conquered and colonized by aliens, the term “Odd Jobs” means REALLY ODD jobs. But when some more than slightly suspicious secrets from the shadows of Gintoki Sakata’s somewhat shady former samurai past and a new pair of odd jobs collide, the action is bound to get so wild and demented that only a feature film will do it justice! So, if you’ve had the good fortune to see Gintama, Japan’s most popular science fiction samurai series before, get ready for more of the same on an epic scale! And if you haven’t seen Gintama before, well, this is your quick and easy introduction to why Gintama (the series) is the hottest thing to hit the Land of the Rising Sun since a certain large, green reptile whose name we can’t use due to certain litigious lawyers! So sit down, strap yourself in and make sure you’re not wearing anything too tight or constricting as the junior half of OJG takes on the task of tracking down a tenacious terrorist while their silver-haired slickster of a partner seeks out a certain sword in the stunningly side-splitting screwy GINTAMA!
