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2024 HAUL - MAY CHAPTER: BATCH #3.1

All the big items arrived pretty much all at the same time. But I am expecting this to be the last batch of the month. While I have ordered Persona 4 Golden from VGP, which did get dispatched surprisingly fast, I'm not expecting it to be here until early June.

Due to image space limitations, this batch is split into two posts.


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Arriving last Wednesday is my latest order from retailer Scifier which is my go-to place for Seven Seas manga at this point because their pricing and packaging have been spot on. No discount code this time, though they did reveal one literally just as my order had been shipped. Here we have six Ghost Ship manga volumes to keep these titles going.

Starting off with Do You Like Big Girls volumes 5 & 6 which for some reason the distributor is now releasing omnibus editions so I'm concerned about the future volumes for collecting at this point. Next we have World's End Harem volumes 13 & 14 which are the start of the After World story arc which wraps the series at volume 18 so there's just a few left to go now. And then there's World's End Harem: Fantasia volumes 8 & 9 which I believe is still on-going.


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I have mentioned before about how I have been rather behind on the Eureka Entertainment catalog but I wanted to make sure I picked up a few from their May line-up. The first is Prison Walls: Abashiri Prison I-III collection from Teruo Ishii which includes
Abashiri Prison (網走番外地), Another Abashiri Prison Story (続・網走番外地) and Abashiri Prison: Saga of Homesickness (網走番外地 望郷篇), all from 1965 across two Blu-ray discs. The artwork for this release is great and it's been a while since I have picked up any Teruo Ishii titles since they were mainly released by Arrow so it's interesting to see Eureka go for his catalogue.

Next we have King Hu's The Valiant Ones (忠烈圖) which is my first King Hu title I believe and it's on 4K Ultra HD which still feels weird to say for Asian films but here we are. I do wonder if the previous King Hu titles Eureka have released will be re-released onto the 4K format but time will tell.


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Radiance Films continues to intrigue me with their selection. One of those is their latest Italian title with Mario Bava's Planet of the Vampires (Terrore nello spazio), a 1965 science fiction horror that apparently inspired Alien and Pitch Black. The premise itself also intrigues me and this box set looks great. It's also selling fairly fast considering its 5000 units.

Also arrived is the Shinobi box set. This contains the first three films in the franchise - Satsuo Yamamoto's 1962 film Shinobi: A Band of Assassins (忍びの者), Satsuo Yamamoto's 1963 film Shinobi: Revenge (続・忍びの者) and Kazuo Mori's 1963 film Shinobi: Resurrection (新・忍びの者). I recall the first three films were chosen because they were all based on the novel that they adapt, whilst the films that came after are original stories. Like the Bounty Hunter Trilogy set, this is also a nicely packaged release.
 
2024 HAUL - MAY CHAPTER: BATCH #3.2


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My Stackry package arrived and included were two Crunchyroll Store orders. The first is a mini Crunchyroll & Funimation haul with three titles from their catalogue.

First up we have Beast Tamer, a fantasy series that I was aware of but never managed to watch during simulcast. This does have a UK release but as it's one of the multi-language titles I wanted to own the US version (and this order was using a discount code so it worked out).

Next we have How Not to Summon a Demon Lord Omega, the second season to the isekai series which I have seen and enjoyed despite the studio change and shorter episode length. This also has a UK release but as I owned the first season via the US limited edition I wanted to keep consistency so thankfully my copy still came with a slipcase given it's been out for a while.

And then there's Sonny Boy which I have heard is very good and it's also an isekai surprisingly. Given the series was released before the merger it's now at an age where my copy didn't come with a slipcase but that's fine given the slipcase artwork and amaray cover didn't have any differences.



And the second package is my third Discotek Media haul of the year, consisting of 12 more titles. Considering that every title was available and I had most of the 'at risk' titles secured I felt that I could freely go for any title, so here's a mixture of remastered classics, a couple of Shonen titles, two more Lupin the Third titles and any that had my curiosity.

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Angel Cop [Region A Locked release, not compatible with Panasonic Method]
Animated by studio DAST in 1989-94, and directed by Ichirō Itano. This is a classic retro anime nasty title from back in the day for Manga Entertainment and was censored for UK release. When Discotek picked it up they had to deal with a pretty bad master but it was upscaled for Blu-ray, however thanks to AnimEigo's discovery of a vault, Angel Cop was one of the titles that they managed to find the original masters and provide a much better HD restoration. I have heard this OVA series is phobic and rude but I wanted to own it as part of the classic anime scene (I always wanted to collect the retro anime UK line-up in HD form if possible). Discotek Media released the HD remaster of the OVA series in a steelbook package on February 2022.

Barefoot Gen 1 & 2 [Region A Locked release, not compatible with Panasonic Method]
Adapted by studio Madhouse in 1983-86, and directed by Mori Masaki & Toshio Hirata respectively. Another set of classic anime and ones that did receive a UK release by none other than Studio Canal and their previous name Optimum Releasing. While Jin-Roh and Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust got rescued by Anime Limited, this one did not and I was baffled given its a well known title in terms of its coverage. Perhaps there were licensing issues in the UK, but regardless Discotek released it on Blu-ray years back and I didn't want to risk losing out on it. You may notice that this release I have is indeed reprinted to be in a curved slipcase, but I can also confirm the spine has been amended (the first print had the spine aligned to the wrong way around like AL's Utena box). Discotek Media released the films on Blu-ray on December 2017.

Beelzebub [Region A Locked release, not compatible with Panasonic Method]
Adapted by studio Pierrot+ in 2011, and directed by Yoshihiro Takamoto. When I got into anime and used Crunchyroll for the first time there were a few Shonen Jump titles available on the service and one of those were Beelzebub. I heard it suffered the same fate as Reborn! where it never finished adapting the entire story but regardless seeing Discotek Media picking it up for DVD and then upgrading it to a Standard Definition on Blu-ray package was a surprise. I also recognised the character for their appearance in J-Stars Victory Vs. Discotek Media released the series in an SD-BD package on September 2022.

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BoBoBo-Bo Bo-BoBo [compatible with Panasonic Method]
Adapted by studio Toei Animation in 2003, and directed by Hiroki Shibata. Another Shonen Jump classic but one that I first discovered through J-Stars Victory Vs. and later finding out recently the main character was voiced by Takehito Koyasu (DIO in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) so this is going make the experience even better. Discotek Media said this was a pretty challenging one to translate due to the dozens of lines to translate and they made it possible. The US release by S'more Entertainment was infamous for having a Japanese track with no subtitles applied (and I think there were assets on the disc itself). Either way Discotek Media saved the day and released it in its proper form. Discotek Media released the series in an SD-BD package on January 2020.

Crying Freeman [Region A Locked release, not compatible with Panasonic Method]
Adapted by studio Toei Animation in 1988-94, and directed by Daisuke Nishio, Jōhei Matsuura, Nobutaka Nishizawa, Shigeyasu Yamauchi, and Takaaki Yamashita. Another classic retro anime nasty title from back in the day for Manga Entertainment and also censored for UK release. Discotek Media released the series on DVD early on in their anime venture but was among the first to be discontinued. So it was a complete surprise for me to see the series return almost a decade later with a HD restoration by Toei for Discotek to release on Blu-ray with both English dubs (UK & US) included. Discotek Media released the OVA series on Blu-ray in November 2023.

Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure [Region A Locked release, not compatible with Panasonic Method]
Animated by studio AIC in 1999, and directed by Katsuhito Akiyama. A series that I had never heard of prior to Discotek's announcement, and as soon as it was mentioned that it was made by Masaki Kajishima, I immediately wanted to get it. I'm a fan of Tenchi Muyo! and its artstyle and here I can see I'll enjoy watching it a lot. It was also dubbed by Geneon/Pioneer back in the day which Discotek included here. In Japan it was released on Blu-ray but technically in SD to my knowledge, so here it's also in a Standard Definition on Blu-ray package. Discotek Media released the series in an SD-BD package on February 2024.

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Goku Midnight Eye [Region A Locked release, not compatible with Panasonic Method]
Adapted by studio Madhouse in 1989, and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri. Once again another retro anime classic from the Manga Entertainment era but here we have Kawajiri and also Buichi Terasawa (Cobra). Just two episodes here but that's how it was back in the day for a lot of anime. Discotek Media released the DVD first before re-releasing the OVAs on Blu-ray with a new HD restoration, which is cool. Discotek Media released the OVA series on Blu-ray in October 2023.

Lupin the Third: The Mystery of Mamo [compatible with Panasonic Method]
Adapted by studio TMS Entertainment in 1978, and directed by Sōji Yoshikawa. Believe it or not, Lupin the Third is one of the first anime that I watched back in 2012, as a friend of mine gave me the films and OVA to this franchise after we both liked Castle of Cagliostro. Going into The Mystery of Mamo (also known as The Secret of Mamo) was a whiplash because Castle of Cagliostro was family friendly while this is almost like you accidently discovered a porno, but thankfully I understood how Lupin works and enjoyed the film. Discotek Media did release this on DVD years back but then released it on Blu-ray, with all 4 English dubs included as well. The 4K master wasn't received well so don't expect a 4K Ultra HD release from them. Discotek Media released the film on Blu-ray in March 2022.

Lupin the Third: Return of Pycal [compatible with Panasonic Method]
Adapted by studio TMS Entertainment in 2002, and directed by Mamoru Hamatsu. Another Lupin title that I did watch back in 2012 though to be honest I don't remember much from this and it probably needed more context going in, which is fair given this I would regard as a sequel to the episodes from Lupin the Third Part I. Discotek picked it up and did their own Blu-ray for the OVA, there is no English dub but that's fine. Discotek Media released the OVA on Blu-ray in July 2021.

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Shin Tetsujin 28 [compatible with Panasonic Method]
Adapted by studio TMS Entertainment in 1980, and directed by Tetsuo Imazawa. Discotek have released a lot of the Tetsujin 28 titles and this is an older series that got a HD Blu-ray release. This 80s series was released in the west under the English version The New Adventures of Gigantor but Discotek here has the original Japanese version. Discotek Media released the series on Blu-ray in January 2019.

Tomorrow’s Joe 2: The Movie [compatible with Panasonic Method]
Adapted by studio TMS Entertainment in 1981, and directed by Osamu Dezaki. This is the movie version of the Ashita no Joe 2 series and considering the main series has yet to be picked up, the films will do. I know this one is well beloved so I am looking to checking it out, especially as I am a big fan of the franchise's spiritual successor MEGALOBOX. Discotek Media released the film on Blu-ray in March 2022.

Zatch Bell Movies [Region A & B compatible]
Adapted by studio Toei Animation in 2004-05, and directed by Junji Shimizu & Takuya Igarashi respectively. Here we have two films made for the Weekly Shōnen Sunday series, and while the main series was released in the west with a dub, the films are subtitled only and picked up by Discotek Media (the main series were licensed by New Video Group). Given the nicheness I figured it would be interesting to check out. Discotek Media released the films on Blu-ray in March 2018.

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Still a long ways to go but I am closer to being in a position where I don't have to worry too much about losing out on specific titles in the next Discotek Media OOP batches. Galaxy Express 999 titles are at Stackry at the moment so I'll need to get a few more titles before I ship it out. There's roughly 39 titles in my list from a 2015-2021 range that I am interested in but may get lowered depending on the circumstances.
 
Ah my copy of Barefoot Gen Movies 1+2 has that spine issue - I wondered if it would be amended for future print runs.
 
2024 HAUL - MAY CHAPTER: BATCH #3.2

[/SPOILER]
Some beauties in here. I keep banging on about how good Bobobo is. I've only seen the fan sub version (which I love) and some of the dub (which isn't for me, but that's okay). I'm getting this blu ray soon, and I'm excited to see the sub of it.

I've never seen any Lupin, but I'd like to. I don't know where to start. I've seen various collectors editions from All The Anime, but it seems like it's all partway through the story. Maybe I'm mistaken. I need to do some research.
 
Some beauties in here. I keep banging on about how good Bobobo is. I've only seen the fan sub version (which I love) and some of the dub (which isn't for me, but that's okay). I'm getting this blu ray soon, and I'm excited to see the sub of it.

I've never seen any Lupin, but I'd like to. I don't know where to start. I've seen various collectors editions from All The Anime, but it seems like it's all partway through the story. Maybe I'm mistaken. I need to do some research.
Lupin the Third is an interesting franchise because you can just join in at any point, they're all disconnected in terms of the stories in general, like Final Fantasy is.

While The Castle of Cagliostro is a really great film, it is light-hearted and for all-ages compared to the rest of the franchise so it might catch you off guard like it did to me when I went from Cagliostro to Mystery of Mamo.

If you like style, The Woman Called Fujiko Mine and the three films that came after (Jigen's Gravestone, Goemon's Blood Spray and Fujiko's Lie) are each pretty solid.

But out of the whole franchise I recommend starting with Lupin the Third Part 4: The Italian Adventure, because it's a great way to jump right in and pretty much rebooted the franchise for the series format, since over the decades it had mainly been annual television specials.

Worth noting that Part 4 has a unique distribution. When the series was brought over to Toonami in North America, the English dub was based on the Italian broadcast master (since the series was co-produced by Italy) which has some slight differences in timing, while the Japanese audio is based on the Japanese broadcast/BD master, so the two can't sync together and had to be on two separate releases. Both do have Blu-rays available by Anime Limited and Discotek.
 
Lupin the Third is an interesting franchise because you can just join in at any point, they're all disconnected in terms of the stories in general, like Final Fantasy is.

Thanks for taking the time to write all of that. Brilliant! I'll definitely check out Part 4. Lol I see that All The Anime have two different versions, and that the front cover artwork doesn't mention a single thing about whether it's subbed or dubbed. Cool, excellent.

I also saw this post on their website, which is really brilliant. How confusing that they'd go to so much trouble as to write such a great and thoughtful blog post, but then not make it clear on the artwork which is which.

Anyway, great to know. I'll definitely get the subbed one soon. Cheers!
 
Some beauties in here. I keep banging on about how good Bobobo is. I've only seen the fan sub version (which I love) and some of the dub (which isn't for me, but that's okay). I'm getting this blu ray soon, and I'm excited to see the sub of it.

I've never seen any Lupin, but I'd like to. I don't know where to start. I've seen various collectors editions from All The Anime, but it seems like it's all partway through the story. Maybe I'm mistaken. I need to do some research.
It really doesn’t matter too much as it’s mostly episodic. Just pick a series or a film and watch it. The Castle of Cagliostrois pretty easy to get hold of because of the Ghibli connection.
 
The Wind Rises turned into a bigger Ghibli haul, some new, some second hand . I want to add When Marnie Was There, Whisper of the Heart/The Cat Returns, and Howl's Moving Castle on Friday when I get paid, not too bothered about the other Ghibli films, but may end up picking them up anyway lol.

A seller on eBay had buy 5 get 1 free, including some sealed collector's editions for £19.99 a pop so that seemed good value.

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