The second part of the final package are two batches of orders from Sentai Filmworks, one from their Black Friday sale and another from their Holiday sale. The difference between the two are more releases available to choose from with the latter. As mentioned, the Black Friday haul ended up in limbo for ages and I ordered another to have the two consolidated and shipped for January, but instead the delayed package managed to appear and the others all arrived on time.
So the goal for this haul was a combination of catching up on a few newer titles that I had my eye on whilst also securing a few older titles that were recently re-released in recent years especially because a couple did eventually discontinue (for example
Demon King Daimao and
Heaven's Memo Pad are both no longer available).
We're going to start off with the newer anime shows that have aired over the past few years.
The cover art for
Bibliophile Princess always caught my eye and since I don't often pick up romance of this setting I figured I'll pick it up when it went on sale. As the title suggests it's about a girl who loves books and been engaged to the prince for a long period of time. The anime aired in October 2022 and was adapted by studio Madhouse
(Frieren: Beyond Journey's End).
Next we have the fantasy series
Level 1 Demon Lord and One Room Hero which also caught my eye by its premise, of a retired hero having to deal with a demon lord now living in his one-room apartment. There's no doubt going to be fanservice as well given the character designs. The anime aired in July 2023 and was adapted by studios Silver Link and Blade
(Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable!).
Ever since
My Next Life as a Villainess we had seen a whole bunch of new anime adaptations related to villainess characters as a protagonist for the isekai genre and one of those was
The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior which will also be receiving a second season in 2026. The premise for this one is essentially avoiding their fate by trying to change the choices made in the past just like the others in this sub-genre, but as long as it's entertaining that's what matters. The anime aired in July 2023 and was adapted by studio OLM's Team Yoshioka
(Odd Taxi).
Another fantasy series and a reverse isekai!
Plus-Sized Elf, also known as
Ms. Elf Can't Lose Weight, is a short-length series about a massage therapist protagonist interacting with characters from another world who are very curvy or chubby. It's a very acquired taste but a man of culture taste I would say. Being serious I am a fan of Synecdoche, the manga author, and their art style. I discovered the manga when it first started and kept my eye on it since. The anime didn't receive particularly well but there's an English dub at least and the Blu-ray is uncensored. The anime aired in July 2024 and was adapted by studio Elias
(Yandere Dark Elf: She Chased Me All the Way From Another World!).
Next we have
Spy Classroom, a series that reminds me of
Princess Principal which follows a group of girls with guns. The anime did have some critiques over its adaptation structure with the first seven episodes being out of order and slower-paced (plus adapting a short story alongside the main light novels) but after that point I read that it improves. The anime aired in January & July 2023 across two seasons and was adapted by studio Feel
(Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle).
which is a very long title, no doubt caught my attention let's be honest. Another fantasy series in a school setting but honestly haven't seen much of these as of late even though there's always more of them airing each season. The anime did well enough for Sentai Filmworks to also release a Steelbook Edition which is what I went for. I generally don't go for steelbooks unless the price is right and the value is there, but it was on sale for $5 more than the regular edition so I figured why not. The booklet also includes an original short story. The anime aired in July 2022 and was adapted by studio Staple Entertainment
(Tales of Wedding Rings).
Next we have two re-releases that have slipcases which is uncommon for Sentai to release but I may as well get them whilst they are still available.
The first is a series that I wanted to watch way back when it first aired but wasn't available in the UK and that was
Amagi Brilliant Park. It is pretty surreal to finally be able to watch this now that I have it on Blu-ray, of course the series has been on Blu-ray in the UK for a while under Manga Entertainment but I was expecting Anime Limited to rescue the license given the studio and author involved but it's been so long that I may as well get Sentai's re-release which would have a newly authored disc as they tend to do. The anime aired in October 2014 and was adapted by studio Kyoto Animation
(City the Animation). Sentai's original Blu-ray was released in February 2017 whilst this new slipcase edition released December 2024.
Another big addition to my collection is the classic
Vampire Hunter D. I watched the film Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust years ago when Anime Limited released it, but somehow this OVA never saw a re-release all this time. Sentai has had the license for so long and I'm surprised it's still in print. This does have a different dub produced instead of bringing back the classic one due to various factors though. The anime released in December 1985 and was adapted by studio Ashi Productions
(An Observation Log of My Fiancée Who Calls Herself a Villainess). Sentai's original Blu-ray was released in August 2015 whilst this new slipcase edition released August 2025.
And we have even more re-releases to go over. Some of these were released by Sentai very early on so it was a good thing that I added them to his haul sooner.
Remember
Heavenly Delusion? Well another series made by the original author was adapted years ago and is now back in print!
And Yet the Town Moves is going to be a pretty interesting watch not just because of its wacky premise but also due to the staff involved in the adaptation. Akiyuki Shinbo chief directed this adaptation around the same time he was working through
Bakemonogatari so there's probably a head tilt somewhere. Katsuhiko Takayama, who's worked on
Baka & Test and
The Future Diary, also wrote the script. The anime aired in October 2010 and was adapted by studio Shaft
(Virgin Punk: Clockwork Girl). Sentai's original Blu-ray was released in June 2016 whilst this new edition released September 2025.
Next we have the horror comedy series
Re-Kan! which is one that I've heard of when it first aired but didn't really pay any attention to it. Since the series was re-released I decided to give it a shot. The anime aired in October 2010 and was adapted by studio Pierrot Plus
(Magical Girl Ore). Sentai's original Blu-ray was released in October 2016 whilst this new edition released August 2025.
Sunday Without God was also another series I knew about beforehand but upon reading the synopsis it actually sounds pretty decent and for the same reasons as
Re-Kan! I wanted to check it out before it would eventually discontinue. The anime aired in July 2013 and was adapted by studio Madhouse
(Trillion Game). Sentai's original Blu-ray was released in October 2014 whilst this new edition released April 2021.
Then we have a film series in a similar format to
Broken Blade with
Towanoquon, also known as
Towa no Quon, which I knew only by its cover art but it had always intrigued me ever since. Miraculously it came back into print so I knew from that point that I had to prioritise it considering it was one of the first Blu-rays Sentai had released so a re-release with newer discs was desperately needed. The 6-part film series was directed by Umanosuke Iida
(Devilman OVAs) and scripted by Toshizo Nemoto
(Scarlet Nexus). The anime theatrically released between June to November 2011 and was animated by studio Bones
(Bungo Stray Dogs). Sentai's original Blu-ray was released in June 2012 whilst this new edition released June 2025.
Last but not least is another massive collection release with
The World God Only Knows Ultimate Collection which includes three seasons and a few OVAs in one set;
The World God Only Knows,
The World God Only Knows II,
The World God Only Knows: 4 Girls and an Idol OVA,
The World God Only Knows: Tenri Arc OVAs and
The World God Only Knows: Goddesses.
This franchise was one of the most popular harem romance type shows back in the day using a format similar to
Amagami SS where every few episodes focused on a different love interest. The series never saw a Blu-ray release in the UK and in the US it was unavailable for quite sometime. Even if you watched the series during simulcast the OVAs were needed to fill in the gaps between Seasons 2 & 3 so holding out for a collection like this saves a lot of hassle. The anime seasons aired in October 2010, April 2011 and July 2013, and were adapted by studio Manglobe
(GANGSTA). Sentai's original Blu-rays for the main seasons were released in January 2012, August 2012 and March 2015 followed by a complete collection in January 2017, whilst this new edition was released July 2025.
