2020 was a great year for Venus Wars fans as Bandai Visual brought out a new Blu-ray release for it where it looks like it was a remaster based on a new HD negative scan. We learned in November 2020 that Sentai Filmworks made their pickup of the classic film with plans for a release in the US, Canada, and Mexico where they gained the rights to it. That release landed back in February 2021 with a limited edition version and we later in the year got a regular version.
Back in December 2023, UK distributor Anime Limited announced their pickup of the film with plans for a 2024 Collector’s Edition release in the works. That’s now been announced with an April 15th, 2024 release date priced at £39.99. It comes packed in a rigid case with an Amaray case to hold the Blu-ray disc and also contains a 76-page booklet packed with artwork and interviews with the staff and cast. On-disc extras include the Central Park Media trailer for the film.
Check out the trailer released about the title.
Check out our review of the film.
The new dub has Mike Haimoto as the writer and director – his first directing gig – on it with a new translation by Sawa Matsueda Savage. The English cast includes Adam Gibbs as Hiro, Maggie Flecknoe as Susan, Luci Christian as Maggie, David Matranga as Will, Christine Auten as Miranda, David Wald as Donner, Seán Patrick Judge as Kurtz, John Gremillion as Gary, Mark Allen Jr. as Rob, Scott Gibbs as Jack, Blake Jackson as Kenny, Mike Haimoto as Tao, Christina Kelly as Cathy, Rob Mungle as Col. Simms, Jay Hickman as Bartender, Adjutant, and John Swasey as General, Maggie’s Dad.
Additional cast includes Andrew Love, Benjamin McLaughlin, Blake Jackson, Blake Weir, Chris Patton, Christine Auten, Courtland Johnson, David Lascoe, Jay Hickman, Joe Daniels, John Gremillion, John Swasey, Josh Morrison, Kyle Colby Jones, Mike Haimoto, Rob Mungle, Scott Gibbs, and Ty Mahany.
Discotek Media picked up the title in 2012 while prior to that, it was last released in 2003 from Central Park Media, though it also got a 1998 release from them as well as one of their first titles not solicited through NuTech Entertainment. The film was originally released in 1989 from Bandai Visual based on the manga of the same name which was released in the ’80s by Dark Horse Comics in floppy form. The film was written and directed by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko who was also behind the manga, giving it a solid feel and the proper adaptation that still holds up well today, both in story and animation.
Produced by Triangle Staff (Serial Experiments Lane), Venus Wars is directed by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, the film’s original creator who also serves as the film’s scriptwriter and character designer. The film stars Katsuhide Uekusa as Hiro Seno, Eriko Hara (City Hunter 2) as Susan Sommers, Yuko Mizutani (Sorcerer Hunters) as Maggie and Koichi Yamadera (Cowboy Bebop) as Jeff.
Plot Concept: In the 21st century, mankind lives on two planets: Earth and the now terraformed Venus. People from Earth have colonized the formerly hostile world and have thrived for four generations. But along with those humans came their failings and the dark sides. Now Venus is about to become hostile again.
Hiro Seno, a popular hotshot motorcycle racer, caught up in a war he would rather avoid, witnesses the first strike on his country Aphrodia from the malevolent nation of Ishtar. Before his very eyes, he sees the Ishtarian war machines lay waste to his city, and despite his opposition to war, Hiro soon finds himself fighting for his life on the front lines!
Meanwhile, Susan Somers, a spunky journalist from Earth, gets caught up in the whirlwind of Venutian political intrigue and espionage that brings her face to face with the deadly leader of the Ishtar himself.
