Kametsu

Flying Dog and Victor Entertainment have announced that they will release the Ninja Scroll film on Blu-ray in Japan on May 23. The Blu-ray Disc will include both Japanese and English audio tracks, but the announcement does not list any subtitle tracks for the release. The release will also include audio commentary by director Yoshiaki Kawajiri and character designer Yutaka Minowa. The release will also feature extras such as trailers and still images from the creation process. The Blu-ray Disc is retailing for 8,190 yen (about US$99).

The British anime distributor Manga Entertainment posted a reply on its Twitter account in regards to a query about the upcoming Japanese Blu-ray that said “I would strongly suggest not importing it.” Manga Entertainment currently holds the rights to the film in North America and the United Kingdom.

Sentai Filmworks announced on Wednesday that it has licensed the 12-episode television anime series Hatsukoi Limited. The company will release the series digitally, then on subtitled DVD later this year.

Mizuki Kawashita’s original manga portrayed vignettes in the everyday lives of a junior high school girl named Ayumi and several other junior high and high school girls. The television series adaptation aired in spring 2009 in Japan. Yoshiki Yamakawa (Baby, Please Kill Me!) directed the series, and Mariko Kunisawa (Kimikiss pure rouge, Squid Girl) handled the series composition and the screenplay. J.C. Staff handled the show’s animation production.

This year’s 17th issue of Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump is reporting on Monday that the Gintama television anime series is drawing to a close on TV Tokyo after five years. TV Tokyo, the primary broadcaster of the anime and one of the copyright holders, had not stated before that it was ending Gintama. The 252nd episode is titled “Gomen Nasai” (We’re Sorry), although the previous week’s next-episode preview listed the title as “Mitei” (“To Be Determined”).

Starting on April 2, the animated television series Gon will air on TV Tokyo at 6:00 p.m. on Mondays — Gintamas current timeslot.

The Beelzebub television anime series will end next Sunday, March 25, on its 60th episode. The anime magazines had revealed on March 10 that the anime is ending, and the official Twitter account for the anime corroborates this. However, Ryūhei Tamura’s original manga is still continuing, and the last anime episode is titled “Sayonara wa Iimasen” (“We Don’t Say Farewell”).

Crunchyroll has been streaming the anime into several countries as it airs in Japan.

North American anime distributor Media Blasters confirmed on its Facebook page on Sunday that it “will not be releasing” the Record of Lodoss War anime titles as planned. Media Blasters had revealed in 2010 that it licensed the 1990 Record of Lodoss War video anime series and the 1998 Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight television anime sequel.

Both fantasy titles were previously licensed and released in North America by Central Park Media. Media Blasters had put its Bakuman. (Second Draft) DVD Collection #2, and Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians Complete DVD Boxed Set on hold last month.

When asked if it will “be getting and dubbing the rest of Queen’s Blade” such as the Queen’s Blade: Rebellion original video anime and television series, Media Blasters replied on Sunday that “we will db all of QB.”

This year’s 16th issue of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine is announcing on Monday that Yoshihiro Togashi is putting his Hunter X Hunter adventure manga on hiatus in the next issue. He had been serializing the manga again since last August. At 30 installments, the most recent run is the longest uninterrupted run of Hunter X Hunter.

The next compiled book volume of the manga, #30, will ship next month. Viz Media published the 27th volume in North America this month.

A source linked to the Hunter X Hunter franchise told the Mainchi Shimbun paper’s Mantan Web site that production on the first anime film based on Yoshihiro Togashi’s manga has been green-lit. Even though there have been two television anime series, including one ongoing one, there have not been a theatrical anime in the 14 years of the manga’s serialization. According to Mainichi’s source, the story of the film be an entirely original one.

According to Mainichi, Togashi will publish a message in this year’s 16th issue of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine on Monday.

North American anime distributor Funimation announced at its panel at Katsucon on Saturday that it has obtained the rights to the comedy series Level E. The 2010 television anime adapted a comedy/science-fiction manga series by Yoshihiro Togashi (Hunter X Hunter, Yū Yū Hakusho) into 13 episodes. The story follows a high school freshman who moves into his own apartment, only to find that it is already inhabited by a strange man who claims to be an alien, and suffers from amnesia.

Funimation did not announce DVD or Blu-ray release plans, but did announce that the series will be available on various streaming platforms beginning in March. Crunchyroll streamed the anime into several countries as it aired in Japan.

The online retailer Amazon is listing that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release both the X-Men and the Iron Man television anime series on April 24 on DVD. Both listings retail for US$19.99 for the complete series on two discs, and both list that the releases will include English and Japanese audio. Amazon does not have listings for Blu-ray Disc releases for either series. Amazon also does not currently have listings for home video releases of the Wolverine or Blade television anime series.

Madhouse’s 12-episode anime adaptations of Marvel’s Iron Man and X-Men characters originally premiered on the G4 channel in July and October, respectively.

The two series are part of a four-part collaboration between Marvel Comics and Madhouse Studios, which also includes the Wolverine and Blade television anime series. Wolverine premiered on G4 in July, and G4 began airing Blade on January 13.

Sentai Filmworks confirmed on Friday that it will include an English dub on its upcoming release of Gintama: The Movie (Gintama: Shinyaku Benizakura-Hen) on DVD and Blu-ray Disc, noting its policy to dub titles it releases on Blu-ray Disc. Sentai Filmworks added that the English dub cast has not been set yet, but Kyle Jones will be directing the dub.

Sentai Filmworks announced on Thursday that it acquired the action comedy film, and the company will release it digitally before it receives a home video release on DVD and Blu-ray Disc later this year.

The 95-minute feature retells a story from the Gintama television series, which is set in an alternate version of Tokyo that Amanto aliens have invaded. Former samurai Gintoki Sakata investigates the disappearance of a legendary sword named Benizakura, while his partners Kagura and Shinpachi Shimura try to find out what happened to Gintoki’s friend, Kotaro Katsura.

Gintama: The Movie is currently the only theatrical anime adaptation of Hideaki Sorachi’s bestselling manga series. The film opened in limited release (90 screens) in Japan in April 2010, and then had its international premiere in Montreal in July of that year. The first film eventually earned 1.07 billion yen (about US$12.86 million) at the box office. Sentai Filmworks already licensed the television anime series, and Section23 Films released the first 49 episodes on DVD.