The folks at Nozomi Entertainment are adding to their August anime slate with the announcement of a priced down version of the first half of Rental Magica. It’s a title that’s a little confusing in that priced down isn’t as far as one might think for a show offering the first twelve episodes, but it’s really twenty-four episodes because the series was done in “broadcast” form and “home video” form in terms of chronology. The set has twelve episodes, but twenty-four total due to the way it had to be released with both forms of it.
“This new, value-priced DVD set will offer the first 12 episodes of Rental Magica in both “broadcast order,” as seen on Japanese television (and the Japanese DVD release), and “chronological order,” according to the timeline presented in the novels that served as the series’ inspiration. It will be housed in a single DVD keepcase.”
Rental Magica is a series that when we first viewed it, we said that it was “a fun series that looks good and is filled with interesting characters.” And you know what? I’m still standing behind that statement.
The show is a supernatural action-adventure, set in a world where magical organizations – staffed by specialists wielding both Eastern and Western disciplines – vie for work, prestige and power.
Written by Makoto Sanda and illustrated by pako, the Rental Magica novel series currently spans more than 21 volumes and was named “Best Action Story” by Japanese fans as part of the 2007 Light Novel Awards. It debuted in 2004, and it was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten’s magazine The Sneaker, alongside the novels that inspired The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Trinity Blood anime series. Manga interpretations of Rental Magica also appeared in the shoujo (girls’) anthology Asuka and the shounen (boys’) anthology Comp Ace.
Rental Magica’s anime adaptation features direction by Itsuro Kawasaki (Sengoku Basara, The Legend of the Legendary Heroes), series composition by Mamiko Ikeda (Emma: A Victorian Romance, Maid Sama!), animation character design by Minako Shiba (Black Butler, .hack//SIGN), and animation production by ZEXCS (Our Home’s Fox Diety, Chrome Shelled Regios).
Its vocal cast is led by Jun Fukuyama (“Lelouch” in Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, “Lawrence” in Spice and Wolf, and “Sōta” in Wagnaria!!), Kana Ueda (“Yumi” in Maria Watches Over Us, “Rin” in Fate/stay night, “Mikan” in Gakuen Alice), Mikako Takahashi (“Amy” in Burst Angel, “Ayumi Yamada” in Honey and Clover), and Junichi Suwabe (“Archer” in Fate/stay night, “Greed” in Fullmetal Alchemist, “Takashi” in Highschool of the Dead).
Visit rentalmagica.rightstuf.com for more information about Rental Magica, to view the trailers and to pre-order the new DVD set.
About RENTAL MAGICA, Pt. 1
Destroying supernatural monsters… dispelling dark magic… It’s all in a day’s work for the mages of Astral! However, after the mysterious disappearance of the company president, they’re left in a lurch. His son, Itsuki Iba, begrudgingly fills in, but Itsuki’s unfamiliarity with magic could spell bad news for Astral – especially with their rival Goetia vying for the very same contracts. As the jobs grow ever more dangerous, they soon find that staying in business is the least of their worries. Episodes 1-12 in both “broadcast” and “chronological” orders.
RENTAL MAGICA, Pt. 1
Format: DVD (Litebox)
Street Date: 8/7/2012
Runtime: 525 minutes
Genre: Drama / Supernatural / Action
Suggested Rating: 13+
Audio: Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
Subtitles: English subtitles and English on-screen translations
Video: 16:9 Letterboxed, Color
SRP: $39.99
Discs/Set: 4
Features:
View episodes in both “broadcast order,” as seen on Japanese TV (and the Japanese DVD release), and “chronological order,” according to the timeline presented in the novels. PLUS: Character bios; special promo 1; commercial spot 1; clean opening 1; clean closing 1; Rental Magica, Pt. 2 trailer; and Nozomi trailers.
