[Holiday Gift Guide] Anime Blu-rays & DVDs for Loved Ones - Part 1

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Welcome to Honey’s Anime, Everyone! And happy holidays! We are here to present you with some last-minute gift ideas regarding some amazing anime movies from equally amazing studios like GKIDS, Shout! Factory, and Crunchyroll! Some of these titles are available now while some will be released later this year and at the beginning of 2023. So with further adieu, let’s get right into sharing some amazing titles for you to watch and/or gift to that special otaku in your life!

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Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll has released a list of anime movies coming to their streaming platform next year, and they are titles you don’t want to miss. Please see below for information on our selections.

It’s going to be an incredible New Year for anime fans this coming January as Crunchyroll will be releasing several popular series arriving on Blu-ray, including Yu Yu Hakusho, The Stranger by the Shore, Obey Me, One Piece, Black Clover, and more! In celebration of the 30th anniversary of Yu Yu Hakusho, from its original airing on October 10, 1992, Crunchyroll will be releasing a special Blu-ray box set of the complete series on January 31, 2023. The Yu Yu Hakusho 30th Anniversary Blu-ray Box Set will include special anniversary artwork, all four seasons (Episodes 1 - 112), two never-before-dubbed OVAs with the original cast, and over 90 minutes of special features. Additionally, The Stranger by the Shore, which debuted in Japanese cinemas in 2020 and debuted in North America on Funimation in 2021, will be released for the first time as a Limited Edition Blu-ray on January 24, 2023. The Blu-ray will be housed in a collector’s case with an exclusive art book.

Yu Yu Hakusho - 30th Anniversary Box Set

[three_images_in_row image1='' image2='' image3=''] From cutting classes to brawling in the streets, Yusuke Urameshi is not your typical role model. In fact, this kid’s nothing more than a fourteen-year-old delinquent with a talent for trouble. But in a single selfless act, Yusuke dies while saving another. For such noble sacrifice, he is given a second chance at life, but it’s to be a life far different than the one left behind. Now a Spirit Detective, the young man must track down demons and humans alike who desire to rule over the three realms of reality. Yu Yu Hakusho - 30th Anniversary Box Set Exclusives

• 30th Anniversary artwork
• Two Never-Before-Dubbed OVAs

Yu Yu Hakusho - 30th Anniversary Box Set Special Feature

• Yu Yu Hakusho: Looking Back at a Legacy
• Yu Yu Hakusho: Behind the Design
• Yu Yu Hakusho Trading Card Game Revisited
• Episode 63 Video Commentary
• Episode 99 Remixing Yu Yu Hakusho (2011)
• Episode 108 Actor Commentary (2011)
• Episode 110 ADR & Mixing Commentary (2003)
• Episode 110 Supporting Cast Commentary (2003)
• Episode 111 Writer Commentary (2003)
• Episode 111 Outtakes & Foul-ups (2003)
• Episode 112 Leading Cast Commentary (2003)
• Episode 112 Memoirs of Yu Yu Hakusho (2003)
• Textless Opening and Ending Songs

Check out the full January 2023 home video release calendar from Crunchyroll below:

(Release schedule is subject to change) January 3, 2023

• Sasaki and Miyano - The Complete Season – Blu-ray
• Sabikui Bisco - The Complete Season – Blu-ray

January 10, 2023

• Obey Me! - Season 1 – Blu-ray
• Platinum End - Part 1 – Blu-ray

January 17, 2023

• The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation out of Debt - The Complete Season – Blu-ray
• One Piece - Season 12 Voyage 2 – Blu-ray + DVD
• Black Clover - Season 3 Complete – Blu-ray

January 24, 2023

• The Stranger by the Shore – Blu-ray

January 31, 2023

• Yu Yu Hakusho - 30th Anniversary Box Set – Blu-ray
• Ascendance of a Bookworm - Season 3 – Blu-ray

All titles mentioned above are now available for pre-order and also can be streamed on Crunchyroll. Visit the Crunchyroll Store for more home video offerings.

Shout! Factory & GKIDS

Now, Shout! Factory works with GKIDS in distributing their films to us all. Most of everything GKIDS can be found on Shout! Factory for purchase but GKIDS does have their associated stores listed for particular titles which, again, most lead to Shout! Factory. So, let’s go ahead and get into it!

Panda! Go Panda!

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The Beloved Animated Film Directed by Isao Takahata and Written by Hayao Miyazaki Arrives on Blu-Ray and DVD From GKIDS on June 21, 2022 The delightful animated film, Panda! Go Panda!, will be available in a Blu-Ray + DVD combo from GKIDS, distributed by Shout! Factory, on June 21, 2022. Included in the upcoming release are both Panda! Go Panda! (1972), Rainy Day Circus (1973), and tons of special features, released collectively as Panda! Go Panda! With these bonus features, a conversation between the film’s director, Academy Award-nominated Isao Takahata, and the film’s writer, Academy Award winner Hayao Miyazaki, will be made available for the first time in North America. Fans of this release can pre-order now at GKIDS.com and ShoutFactory.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsgsoZazmgs First known as Panda Kopanda (translation: Panda, Baby Panda), it initially premiered in Japan at the height of the panda craze in September 1972. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Panda! Go Panda! is a charming early-career classic from animation legends Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki before they went on to co-found the legendary Studio Ghibli. Synopsis Mimiko is a cheerful, young girl who is left on her own while her grandmother is away. When little Panny Panda and his father Papanda stumble into her home, Mimiko welcomes them in as her new family. Adventures ensue as Mimiko discovers the challenges of taking care of her new cuddly friends.

Special Features

• "From Mimi to Heidi, From Papanda to Totoro" Interview
• Panda! Go Panda! Exhibit ~ The Impact of Hayao Miyazaki's Image Boards
• Conversation with Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki in 1994
• Trailers and Previews

Future Boy Conan - The Complete Series

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The Series Marked the Directorial Debut of Acclaimed Director Hayao Miyazaki. Released for the First Time in North America, Featuring a New 4K Restoration and English Language Dub. Blu-Ray Box Set and Digital Download-To-Own Available November 16, 2021 On November 16, GKIDS, the acclaimed producer and distributor of animation for adult and family audiences, with distribution by Shout! Factory, will release the much-anticipated box set Future Boy Conan: The Complete Series. The 4-disc Blu-ray set, contains all 26 episodes of the show, and an exclusive 16-page booklet featuring character artwork. The full series will additionally be available on digital download-to-own, arriving on November 16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvHzWi_5Vho The 1978 directorial debut of Academy Award-winner Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away), Future Boy Conan, is a landmark in animation history. This legendary sci-fi adventure series, beloved worldwide but never before released in North America, features a new English language dub version and 4K digital restoration. Twenty years ago, a terrible war fought with magnetic weapons caused the earth's axis to tilt, and earthquakes and tidal waves destroyed civilization. Conan is born into this new world and raised by his adopted grandfather on an isolated island. But his life is forever changed when a mysterious girl named Lana washes ashore, pursued by shadowy operatives who seek to use her in a new scheme to control what’s left of the world.

The House of the Lost on the Cape

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Shout! Factory and Eleven Arts Present The House of the Lost on the Cape. Acclaimed New Anime Feature Arrives on Blu-Ray + DVD Combo Pack and Available Digitally to Own on September 27, 2022 A heartwarming and touching story of a newfound family set against the backdrop of the post-Tohoku natural disaster, THE HOUSE OF THE LOST ON THE CAPE is a captivating anime movie centered around special kinship, tradition, optimism, and childhood wonder with a touch of magic. Winner of Best Animation Film at the 76th Annual Mainichi Film Awards and an Official Selection in feature film competition at the prestigious 2022 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, this artful and beautiful anime film will finally make its home entertainment debut on Blu-ray+ DVD combo pack and available for digital download on September 27, 2022, following its nationwide theatrical release. Available for the first time in North America, THE HOUSE OF THE LOST ON THE CAPE contains an exciting movie presentation (featuring both versions – English dub and Japanese audio with English subtitles), insightful bonus content, and an exclusive art booklet. A must-have for anime fans, movie collectors, and pop-culture enthusiasts, THE HOUSE OF THE LOST ON THE CAPE is available for preorder now at ShoutFactory.com and will be available in stores and other fine retailers. Based on the award-winning Japanese novel by Sachiko Kashiwaba (The Wonderland, The Marvelous Village Veiled in Mist), THE HOUSE OF THE LOST ON THE CAPE is directed by Shinya Kawatsura (Non-Non Biyori, Kokoro Connect) and produced by David Production (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure series, Cells At Work) with a screenplay by Reiko Yoshida (A Silent Voice, Lu Over the Wall, Violet Evergarden). THE HOUSE OF THE LOST ON THE CAPE follows 17-year-old run-away Yui and 8-year-old Hiyori, who lost her family and her voice. They have no place to go when they run into Kiwa, a strange old lady. She offers them a place to stay in a slightly banged-up old house overlooking the sea, a Mayoiga. Despite joining Kiwa on a whim, the two girls find comfort in Mayoiga, a legendary house, said to look after lost travelers and the warm hospitality of Kiwa. Both girls’ damaged hearts begin to heal little by little. One day, a variety of strange beings which Kiwa calls “Fushigitto” begin popping up around the house. Bonus Features

• Director Shinya Kawatsura Special Q&A – Annecy Festival
• Yui and Kiwa’s Secret Recipes

Summer Ghost

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The Award-Winning Directorial Debut From the Celebrated Illustrator loundraw to Arrive on Blu-Ray and Digital November 1, 2022, From GKIDS The beautifully animated and utterly unique Summer Ghost will be coming to Blu-ray and all major digital platforms on November 1 from GKIDS with distribution by Shout! Factory. Inspired by one of his own drawings, the directorial debut from the celebrated Japanese illustrator loundraw brings his lush visual sensibility to a supernatural drama about the pains of growing up and the importance of living life to the fullest. Bonus features include the feature-length documentary To You Before Dawn, a feature animatic, and an interview with loundraw. Summer Ghost will be released in its original Japanese language version as well as an all-new English language dub, and is available for pre-order now by visiting ShoutFactory.com and GKIDS.com/store. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BpKeUqQPqw Celebrated for his detailed spatial designs, use of transparent, airy colors, and attention to the depth of field, loundraw began his career as an illustrator when he was a teenager, finding early success on online platforms. He also created key visuals for various notable writers, including illustrations for the novel “I Want to Eat Your Pancreas,” which was later adapted into a theatrical film. Outside of his work in illustration, loundraw’s debut original animation “Until Dreams Awaken” was released on YouTube in collaboration with the wildly popular Japanese rock band BUMP OF CHICKEN, and swiftly hit over 2 million views, and he was a concept designer for the recent anime adaptation of Josee, the Tiger, and the Fish. Conceived as a “short feature,” Summer Ghost showcases original character designs from loundraw and is produced by FLAT STUDIO, the all-new animation studio he established in 2019. The film’s screenplay was written by novelist Hirotaka “Otsuichi” Adachi, and the soundtrack is by internationally renowned pianist Akira Kosemura. Released in Japanese theaters in 2021, the film has garnered wide festival play domestically and abroad, including screenings at Leeds International Film Festival (International Premiere), Annecy International Film Festival, and Fantasia International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Gold Audience Award for Short Film. Synopsis An urban legend says that lighting fireworks at an abandoned airfield will beckon the “summer ghost,” a spirit that can answer any question. Three teenagers, Tomoya, Aoi, and Ryo, each have their own reason to show up one day. When a ghost named Ayane appears, she reveals she is only visible to those “who are about to touch their death.” Compelled by the ghost and her message, Tomoya begins regularly visiting the airfield to uncover the true purpose of her visits. Summer Ghost Bonus Features

• To You Before Dawn Documentary
• Feature Animatic
• Interview with loundraw

Summer Ghost English Dub Voice Cast

• Tomoya – David Errigo Jr.
• Ayane – Megan Taylor Harvey
• Ryo – Clifford Chapin
• Aoi – Kyla Carter
• Tomoya’s Mom – Anne Yatco
• Ayane’s Mom – Anne Yatco

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Final Thoughts

And that is it, Folks! We hope this gift guide helps with some ideas for loved ones this holiday season. Make sure to follow Crunchyroll, Shout! Factory, and GKIDS for more great content that will leave you mesmerized. Are you going to get one or more of these titles? Let us know in the comments below and we hope you all have a wonderful day and an amazing holiday season! Stay safe!

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