It is officially the 20th Discotek Media haul that I've done ever since I first started picking up their releases in April 2022. A lot has happened since but the collection has grown pretty well with a lot of quality titles. Included these lot I own 216 anime sets from this distributor, which is not as high as Anime Limited but uses up half the size of the shelf funny enough (4 rows versus Anime Ltd's 10 rows). Goes to show that big rigid box sets isn't always the way to go for collecting anime heh.
Anyway so the goal for this haul was to pickup a specific long-running anime series to avoid losing out on any of the sets because once one goes, the rest will as well and it's no easy feat (as seen with City Hunter). The rest were added bonuses and were dependant on the price and stock availability but they were on my priority list.
Aim for the Ace!
A 1973 television anime series by studio TMS Entertainment and director Osamu Dezaki, based on a manga written by Sumika Yamamoto. This is a tennis series and I think is the first tennis sport to be with my collection. A relatively popular series given this was directed by the well loved Dezaki himself. This is the first of many anime adaptations for the manga. Discotek Media released the series on Blu-ray in February 2023.
Aim for the Ace! Another Match
A 1988 original video anime series by studio TMS Entertainment and director Noboru Furuse, also based on a manga written by Sumika Yamamoto. This is the sequel to the TV series but the third series in the franchise, as Discotek have skipped Shin Ace o Nerae! which is apparently a remake. Osamu Dezaki still worked on this series and this doesn't have a HD master in Japan, instead Discotek have upscaled it for this release. Discotek Media released the series on Blu-ray in November 2023.
Aim for the Ace! the Movie
A 1979 theatrical anime film by studio TMS Entertainment and director Osamu Dezaki, also based on a manga written by Sumika Yamamoto. This is a new adaptation of the manga, like an alternative retelling of the story but with updated animation and Dezaki himself returning to direct. This was released just after the remake series had finished airing in Japan. Discotek Media released the film on Blu-ray in May 2023.
Kekkaishi
A 2006 television anime series by studio Sunrise and director Kenji Kodama, based on a manga written by Yellow Tanabe. This supernatural series is one that I was familiar with because when I first started getting into anime I was making notes of what titles each distributor currently had and for this series, it was originally with Viz Media who also released the manga in English. As expected licenses expire but Discotek Media rescued the series with the entire 52 episode run altogether in HD with the Viz English dub. Discotek Media released the series on Blu-ray in June 2022.
Rainbow
A 2010 television anime series by studio Madhouse and director Hiroshi Kōjina, based on the manga written by George Abe. This one is pretty interesting due to its licensing situation. The series was streaming on Funimation but never had a home video release and would have one of the perfect examples of a title warranting an English dub, but it never happened. Thankfully Discotek Media were able to rescue the series and release it on Blu-ray. The anime also has Coldrain for their opening theme song which is cool. Discotek Media released the series on Blu-ray in February 2024.
Sgt. Frog - ALL 7 SEASONS
A 2004 television anime series by studio Sunrise and directors Junichi Sato, Yusuke Yamamoto & Nobuhiro Kondo, based on the manga written by Mine Yoshizaki. This is a comedy series before Gintama came along for Sunrise and it's fun to see the entire series now released in the west. Funimation dubbed the first 78 episodes (Season 1 & half of Season 2) before abandoning the show, but Discotek has included that dub alongside all 358 episodes in Japanese with English subtitles. They're all in SD but that's fine for a series like this. Discotek Media released Seasons 1 & 2 on their own in October 2021 & June 2022, followed by a Seasons 3-4 collection in September 2023 and then Seasons 5-7 collection in November 2024.
Thermae Romae
A 2012 television anime series by studio DLE and director Azuma Tani, based on the manga written by Mari Yamazaki. This is a short series about a roman guy who ends up in a bathhouse in modern-day Japan. A bizarre concept but has done well enough to have a live-action adaptation and a new Netflix anime series. Discotek Media released the three-episode series plus the two bonus episodes on Blu-ray in December 2020 with a new English dub also.
