The Deer King

The Deer King, Presented by GKIDS Comes to Blu-Ray + DVD on October 18 and All Major Digital Platforms on Oct. 4, 2022

The much-anticipated, extraordinary new animated film The Deer King is coming to Blu-ray + DVD on October 18 and to all major digital platforms on October 4 from GKIDS with distribution by Shout! Factory. Bonus features on the release include conversations with the voice cast, an introduction from director Masashi Ando, a design gallery, and more.

The Deer King is based on the award-winning fantasy novel series by author Nahoko Uehashi, which sold over two million copies and won major literary awards. Animated by the acclaimed studio Production I.G, the film marks the directorial debut of acclaimed animator Masashi Ando, who previously worked as a character designer, animation director, and key animator with the famed Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke), and with directors Satoshi Kon (Paprika, “Paranoia Agent”), and Makoto Shinkai (your name.). Co-director Masayuki Miyaji is best known for directing the 2009 series Xam’d: Lost Memories and working on Studio Ghibli films such as My Neighbors the Yamadas. Known for their work in series and feature animation, notable works from animation studio Production I.G include the legendary film Ghost in the Shell, and the highly influential series FLCL, Haikyu!!, and Psycho-Pass.

Recommended Post

The Deer King [Movie] Review – Miyazaki-style Mad Max?

An action-packed anime film with dazzling animation, The Deer King is a breathtaking story of survival. Following a brutal war, former soldier Van toils in a mine controlled by the ruling empire. One day, his solitary existence is upended when a pack of wild dogs carrying a deadly and incurable disease attack, leaving only Van and a young girl named Yuna as survivors. Finally free, the pair seek out a simple existence in the countryside but are pursued by nefarious forces. Intent on protecting Yuna at all costs, Van must uncover the true cause of the plague ravaging the kingdom—and its possible cure.

Bonus Features

• Bringing the English Dub to Life
• Interview with Director Masashi Ando
• Introduction from Masashi Ando
• Design Gallery
• Trailers

Goodbye, Don Glees!

The Feature Directorial Debut From Atsuko Ishizuka, Trails Ahead to Blu-Ray + DVD on December 27 and on Digital Platforms on Dec. 13, 2022

The coming-of-age anime film Goodbye, Don Glees! will arrive in a Blu-Ray + DVD combo release on December 27 and become available on major digital platforms on December 13 from GKIDS with distribution by Shout! Factory. This touching animation adventure features an interview with director Atsuko Ishizuka and is now available for pre-order at GKIDS.com and ShoutFactory.com.

Produced by the acclaimed Studio Madhouse, Goodbye, Don Glees! is the first original feature from writer/director, Atsuko Ishizuka, who previously directed the widely lauded series A Place Further Than The Universe, and the feature No Game, No Life: Zero. The vibrantly animated picture screened in competition at various major film festivals, including Annecy International Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival, and Fantasia Fest. The film stars famed Japanese voice actors Ayumu Murase (Shoyo Hinata,” Haikyu!!”), Natsuki Hanae (Tanjiro Kamado, “Demon Slayer”), Kana Hanazawa (Akane Tsunemori, “Psycho-Pass”), and Yuuki Kaji (Eren Jaeger, “Attack on Titan”) in its original Japanese language version.

Teen misfits Roma, Toto, and Drop call themselves the “Don Glees,” an informal name for their backyard adventures. One day, when the trio gets blamed for a nearby forest fire, they set off into the woods to prove their innocence. As disaster strikes their expedition, tensions flare between the friends as they realize that growing up has taken them on wildly different paths in life.

Recommended Post

Goodbye, Don Glees! Review- Life Is Like a Firework, Loud, Explosive, and Bright but Over Quickly.

Director Atsuko Ishizuka follows up her critically acclaimed series A Place Further Than the Universe with her first original feature film. With luminescent animation and lush backdrops, Goodbye, Don Glees! is a tender coming-of-age story about the fearlessness of being young and the bittersweet journey of self-discovery.

BONUS FEATURES

• Interview with Director Atsuko Ishizuka
• Trailers

Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko

The Delightful Animated Film Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko Arrives on Digital, Blu-Ray, and DVD From GKIDS on July 19, 2022

The charming anime film Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko will be released in a Blu-Ray + DVD combo, as well for digital download on all major platforms, from GKIDS, with distribution from Shout! Factory on July 19, 2022. Packed with bonus features including a “Making of” documentary, the Blu-Ray + DVD combo Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is currently available for pre-order on GKIDS.com and ShoutFactory.com.

From acclaimed director Ayumu Watanabe (Children of the Sea) and STUDIO4°C (MFKZ, Mind Game) comes a heartwarming and moving comedy-drama with touches of magical realism. Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is about an unconventional family and the bonds that they share in their sleepy seaside town.

Planned and produced by the beloved Japanese actor and comedian Sanma Akashiya, Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko was based on the novel of the same name by Kanako Nishi. The uplifting film won the Axis: The Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation at the Fantasia International Film Festival and continued collecting accolades including a Best Independent Feature nomination at the 49th Annual Annie Awards.

The film marks the latest collaboration between GKIDS and STUDIO4°C, following GKIDS’ local distribution of previous STUDIO4°C works Children of the Sea (from Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko’s director Ayumu Watanabe), MFKZ, Mind Game, Genius Party, and Genius Party Beyond.

Recommended Post

Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko Review

Synopsis

Brash single mother Nikuko is well-known for her bold spirit, much to the embarrassment of Kikuko, her pensive yet imaginative daughter. In contrast to her mother, Kikuko wants nothing more than to fit in as she navigates the everyday social dramas of middle school. Life in the harbor is peaceful until a shocking revelation from the past threatens to uproot the pair’s tender relationship.

Bonus Features

• Making Of
• Film Completion Press Conference
• Official Premiere Event
• Sanma Akashiya Birthday Event
• Guest Speaker Event
• Trailers

BELLE Collector’s Edition

Critically-Acclaimed Animated Masterpiece From Academy Award-Nominated Director Mamoru Hosoda Coming to 4K UHD on August 30, 2022, in a 3-Disc Collector’s Set

BELLE, the fantastical, heartfelt story of growing up in the age of social media from the acclaimed Academy Award®-nominated director Mamoru Hosoda and Studio Chizu (Mirai, Wolf Children, Summer Wars), will be celebrated with a deluxe Collector’s Edition, coming August 30, 2022, from GKIDS with distribution by Shout! Factory. A 3-Disc set, BELLE COLLECTOR’S EDITION will include the film in UHD™ + Blu-ray™, will be available both in the original Japanese and with an English dub, and contain a bonus disc of exciting new special features, wrapped up in beautiful deluxe packaging.

BELLE was released on all major digital platforms on May 3, 2022, as a Blu-ray + DVD combo pack and in a Target-exclusive Steelbook edition on May 17, 2022.

The extensive bonus features on BELLE COLLECTOR’S EDITION include those from the Blu-ray™ release, as well as several new captivating offerings, such as new special dialogues with the cast, a new interview with Takeru Satoh, a new Eric Wong interview, and more.

BELLE boasts a star-studded English voice cast including Chace Crawford, Manny Jacinto, Kylie McNeill, and Hunter Schafer. Fans of this heartfelt fable for a digital age can pre-order copies now by visiting ShoutFactory.com and GKIDS.com/store.

Lauded by critics around the globe following its world premiere at the 74th Annual Cannes Film Festival, and North American premiere at the 59th Annual New York Film Festival, this stunningly animated film is a breathtaking adaptation of a tale as old as time that was nominated for five Annie Awards including Best Independent Feature.

Recommended Post

Ryuu to Sobakasu no Hime (BELLE) Review – A Spectacular, If Somewhat Shallow, Coming-of-Age Story

On BELLE, the Japanese creative team worked in collaboration with a roster of international talents. Character designer Jin Kim, the artist behind several iconic Disney features including Moana, Tangled, and Frozen, designed the titular Belle. Cartoon Saloon’s Oscar®-nominated Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart (Wolfwalkers, Song of the Sea, The Secret of Kells) also join the team, contributing artwork for the various virtual fantasy worlds within the film. Hosoda continues his film collaborations with architects and is joined by up-and-coming British architect and designer Eric Wong, who designed the virtual world of “U.” Taisei Iwasaki (“Blood Blockade Battlefront.,” Studio Ghibli’s “Giant God Warrior Appears in Tokyo”) along with composing original songs and score, led multiple composers and produced the film’s music entirely. Other composers include the critically acclaimed Yuta Bandoh (“Yuri on Ice”) and BAFTA nominee Ludvig Forrsell (Kojima Productions’ “Death Stranding”). The film’s main theme “U” was performed by the groundbreaking Japanese act millennium parade, led by the composer of the song Daiki Tsuneta.

Suzu is a shy, everyday high school student living in a rural village. For years, she has only been a shadow of herself. But when she enters “U,” a massive virtual world, she escapes into the online persona of Belle, a gorgeous and globally-beloved singer. One day, her concert is interrupted by a monstrous creature chased by vigilantes. As their hunt escalates, Suzu embarks on an emotional and epic quest to uncover the identity of this mysterious “beast” and to discover her true self in a world where you can be anyone.

Belle Collector’s Edition Bonus Features

• NEW Behind the Japanese Dub
• NEW Promo Events with Hosoda and Cast
• NEW Special Dialogues with Cast (Kaho Nakamura, Takeru Satoh, Lilas Ikuta)
• NEW Interview with Takeru Satoh
• NEW Eric Wong Interview
• The Making of BELLE
• A Conversation with Director Mamoru Hosoda
• The Music of BELLE
• Hosoda Draws Belle
• Finding the Voice of Belle
• Scene Breakdowns
• Mamoru Hosoda at Animation is Film
• Design Gallery
• Kylie McNeill Performs “Gales of Song”
• Trailers