S23/Sentai Filmworks/Switchblade Pictures/Maiden Japan , etc PR, News, And Announcements - 2012/2014

Even though Madhouse “cheaped out” on the art for the other Princess Resurrection I still don’t think that the series will be the same without their art. Looking at the pix for the remake reminds me of the difference between Gunslinger Girl S1 and the (IMO) unwatchable Gunslinger Girl S2. But I’d give it “a fair shake” were it released here.

I’m focusing on their older stuff because, looking at the list of Tatsunoko works over on ANN, I don’t see anything remotely “modern” that is particularly exciting IMO (even including works that they’ve only been tangentially involved in) which is currently unlicensed, except for The SoulTaker and the Princess Resurrection that you mentioned. I hope that Tatsunoko has a bounty of kick-ass titles for Sentai to roll out that I don’t know about but I wouldn’t bet $ that they do.

Per PR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[size=16]SENTAI FILMWORKS LICENSES “SUNDAY WITHOUT GOD”[/size]

HOUSTON, July 7, 2013 — Sentai Filmworks is proud to announce its newest acquisition: Sunday Without God. This provocative 12 episode series is directed by Yuji Kumasawa (The Ambition of Oda Nobuna) and features character designs by Shinichi Miyamae with series composition by Tomoko Konparu (NANA), sound direction by Satoshi Motoyama (From the New World) and music by Hiromi Mizutani (Hell Girl).

15 years ago, the stories say, God abandoned the World, leaving the souls of the human race in limbo. No new lives are born, and no one can die. Yet people still age, while their bodies whither with the years. Into this strange new landscape come the Gravekeepers, charged with the task of bringing peace to those who cannot otherwise die. This is what Ai has always believed to be her destiny, taking care of the forty-seven empty graves that wait for the people of her village. However, Ai is wrong. Wrong about her destiny and wrong about what a Gravekeeper truly is. But the veil is only lifted from her eyes when a gun-wielding stranger comes into town, and fills the graves she has tended by murdering the people she has loved. And more shockingly, the man who has done this is the man Ai believes to be her father. And yet, in a world where no one can die, is Death truly the ultimate blessing? A journey unlike any other begins as Ai unlocks the secrets that begin on a SUNDAY WITHOUT GOD!

Sunday Without God will be available starting in July through select digital outlets with a home video release to follow in 2014.

About Sentai Filmworks
Sentai Filmworks celebrates its 5th Anniversary as one of the fastest-growing anime companies in North America, producing hit series like Persona 4, Girls und Panzer, Devil Survivor 2, Bodacious Space Pirates, Majestic Prince and High School of the Dead as well as high profile theatrical films such as Grave of the Fireflies, K-ON! and Appleseed. Sentai Filmworks’ programs are distributed through Ingram Entertainment, Diamond Comic Distributors, Section23Films and Waxworks through retailers Amazon, Best Buy, Fry’s, FYE, Hastings, Sam Goody, Suncoast, The Right Stuf, Wal-Mart and other good and fine stores. Digital product offerings may be found at Amazon, Anime Network, Crunchyroll, Google Play, Hulu, iTunes, Netflix, PlayStation Network, Rovi, Samsung, Vudu, XBOX Marketplace and YouTube.

here’s hoping that the show is good. It sounds like it has potential, that it could be what I ultimately add to my collection in the place of the lackluster Momo show. With only 12 eps I’m leery as too many series with potential fall short when only given 12 eps to play with.

Per PR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[size=16]SENTAI FILMWORKS LICENSES “WATAMOTE ~ NO MATTER HOW I LOOK AT IT, IT’S YOU GUYS’ FAULT I’M NOT POPULAR!”[/size]

HOUSTON, July 7, 2013 — It’s grand delusions, desperate measures and more than a few dates with destiny in Sentai Filmworks’ newest acquisition: WATAMOTE ~ No Matter How I Look At It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Unpopular! This 12 episode series is directed by Shin Oonuma (Kokoro Connect) and features character designs by Hideki Furukawa with series composition by Takao Yoshioka (Demon King Daimao) and sound direction by Saotshi Motoyama (From the New World).

At the tender age of 15, Kuroki Tomoko has already dated dozens and dozens of boys and she’s easily the most popular girl around! The only problem is that absolutely none of that is real, and her perfect world exists only via dating games and romance shows. In fact, the sad truth is that she gets tongue tied just talking to people, and throughout middle school she’s only had one actual friend. All of which makes Kuroki’s entrance into the social pressure cooker of high school a new and special kind of hell. Because while Kuroki desperately wants to be popular, she’s actually worse off than she would be if she was completely clueless as to how to go about it. After all, the things that work in “otome” games rarely play out the same way in reality, especially when the self-appointed “leading lady” isn’t the paragon she thinks she is. There’s not much gain and plenty of pain ahead, but even if it happens again and again, there’s always someone else to blame in WATAMOTE ~ No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!

WATAMOTE ~ No Matter How I Look At It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Unpopular! will be available starting in July through select digital outlets with a home video release to follow in 2014.

About Sentai Filmworks
Sentai Filmworks celebrates its 5th Anniversary as one of the fastest-growing anime companies in North America, producing hit series like Persona 4, Girls und Panzer, Devil Survivor 2, Bodacious Space Pirates, Majestic Prince and High School of the Dead as well as high profile theatrical films such as Grave of the Fireflies, K-ON! and Appleseed. Sentai Filmworks’ programs are distributed through Ingram Entertainment, Diamond Comic Distributors, Section23Films and Waxworks through retailers Amazon, Best Buy, Fry’s, FYE, Hastings, Sam Goody, Suncoast, The Right Stuf, Wal-Mart and other good and fine stores. Digital product offerings may be found at Amazon, Anime Network, Crunchyroll, Google Play, Hulu, iTunes, Netflix, PlayStation Network, Rovi, Samsung, Vudu, XBOX Marketplace and YouTube.

I’ll just add this little end piece here from todays AX announcement recap, since I have some specula to go with it.

My specula on this being: Kaiji
Since both seasons of it got added to CR’s catalog titles this season.
Which I think would be the first ntv license Sentai has ever picked up.
But what makes it even more interesting is, Gatchaman Crowds is another ntv series on CR for this season and with Sentai’s recent announcement of the complete original Gatchaman series (which was probably part of their Tatsunoko deal), that raises the chance even more, as it might have been a bundle deal for Gatchaman Crowds.

Per PR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[size=16]SENTAI FILMWORKS LICENSES “YUMERIA”.[/size]

HOUSTON, July 16, 2013 — Sentai Filmworks is pleased to announce its newest acquisition: Yumeria! This 12 episode series is directed by Keitaro Motonaga (Majikoi ~ Oh! Samurai Girls, Majestic Prince) and features character designs by Shinobu Nishioka (Devil Lady) with sound direction by Hiromi Kikuta (Neo Angelique Abyss) and music by Kazuhiro Nagaoka.

It’s one thing to wake up from a dream and be a little confused, but on his 16th birthday Tomokazu Mikuri wakes up WITH a dream, right next to the strange girl that he’d just been dreaming of! Weirder yet, his hot older cousin, Nanase, takes the new addition to the household perfectly in stride and enrolls her in Tomokazu’s high school, despite the fact that the girl can only say one word: “Mone.” But things get totally out of control when Tomokazu discovers that he can take others back and forth to Mone’s dream world, where his new found abilities may be the key to stopping a nightmarish invasion! Faster than you can say “Harem Anime,” Tomokazu’s two worlds collide as girls from his “real” world join with those from the dream world to take on the evil forces of the Feydooms! But can a 16-year-old nobody really lead a super hero team, stop the bad guys, save the world(s,) and/or get the girl(s) in the end? It’s the kind of thing that only happens in dreams, but when the whole world’s a dream world, anything might be possible in YUMERIA!

Yumera will be available soon through select digital outlets with a home video release on bilingual DVD later this year.

About Sentai Filmworks
Sentai Filmworks celebrates its 5th Anniversary as one of the fastest-growing anime companies in North America, producing hit series like Persona 4, Girls und Panzer, Devil Survivor 2, Bodacious Space Pirates, Majestic Prince and High School of the Dead as well as high profile theatrical films such as Grave of the Fireflies, K-ON! and Appleseed. Sentai Filmworks’ programs are distributed through Ingram Entertainment, Diamond Comic Distributors, Section23Films and Waxworks through retailers Amazon, Best Buy, Fry’s, FYE, Hastings, Sam Goody, Suncoast, The Right Stuf, Wal-Mart and other good and fine stores. Digital product offerings may be found at Amazon, Anime Network, Crunchyroll, Google Play, Hulu, iTunes, Netflix, PlayStation Network, Rovi, Samsung, Vudu, XBOX Marketplace and YouTube.

Per PR:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[size=16]SENTAI FILMWORKS LICENSES “DIVERGENCE EVE”.[/size]

HOUSTON, July 18, 2013 — Sentai Filmworks is pleased to announce its newest acquisition: Divergence Eve! This 26 episode sci-fi epic is overseen by chief director Hiroshi Negishi (Sonic Soldier Borgman TV, Tenchi Universe TV) and features character designs by Toshinari Yamashita (Burn Up W) with sound direction by Kouji Tsujitani (Fate / stay night TV) and music by Yousuke Houga.

In the early 21st century, the discovery of the first wormhole made faster than light travel possible. However, what promised to be a gateway to the stars also proved to be a Pandora’s Box, and the process of jumping through space via parallel universes unleashed terrifying consequences. Now, a quarter millennia later, the deep space outpost Watcher’s Nest must stand on guard, defending the vanguard of humanity against attacks by the monstrous Ghoul, who emerge from alternate time streams and turn their victims into the living undead horrors known as Necromancers. For newly arriving cadets Misaki, Luxandra, Susanna and Kiri, it’s going to be an assignment in Hell as they train to become members of the elite Seraphim Squadron. Because this is a war mankind has been losing, and a new, top secret plan to take the fight back to the Ghoul may end up costing them their minds, lives and even their humanity. At the edge of known space, fighting an enemy from beyond time, the battle to keep the final frontier from becoming mankind’s final resting place has begun in DIVERGENCE EVE!

Divergence Eve will be available soon through select digital outlets with a home video release on bilingual DVD later this year.

About Sentai Filmworks
Sentai Filmworks celebrates its 5th Anniversary as one of the fastest-growing anime companies in North America, producing hit series like Persona 4, Girls und Panzer, Devil Survivor 2, Bodacious Space Pirates, Majestic Prince and High School of the Dead as well as high profile theatrical films such as Grave of the Fireflies, K-ON! and Appleseed. Sentai Filmworks’ programs are distributed through Ingram Entertainment, Diamond Comic Distributors, Section23Films and Waxworks through retailers Amazon, Best Buy, Fry’s, FYE, Hastings, Sam Goody, Suncoast, The Right Stuf, Wal-Mart and other good and fine stores. Digital product offerings may be found at Amazon, Anime Network, Crunchyroll, Google Play, Hulu, iTunes, Netflix, PlayStation Network, Rovi, Samsung, Vudu, XBOX Marketplace and YouTube.

What is an “ilingual DVD”? :smiley:

Here’s hoping that they preserve the commentary tracks from the original release. I wish I could just take it for granted that they’d include them but I’ve learned that isn’t the case…for some “reason”.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=675177985842650&set=a.562082680485515.145555.111004232260031&type=1

[quote]Sentai Filmworks

Hey guys! I’m very happy to announce that Little Busters! WILL be receiving the Blu-ray treatment, and is expected to release in November, the same time as the DVD. Yay! [/quote]

Per PR:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[size=16]SWITCHBLADE PICTURES LOCKS UP INMATE 611 PTS. 1 & 2[/size]

HOUSTON, July 23, 2013— Switchblade Pictures returns to the wild world of Japanese Women In Prison films with the girls in chains sagas HELLHOLE: INMATE 611 and HELLCAGE: INMATE 611 Pt. 2 (Joshû 611: onna-tachi no yakata and Joshû 611: onna-tachi no gyakushû.) A pair of twisted morality plays with the moral “crime does not pay… unless you’re a lecherous prison guard,” both films were directed by Toshikazu Katsu, from screenplays by Takeshi Kunimi. Of more interest to genre fans, however, is the “Most Wanted” list of AV actresses and models who go directly to jail to brave the brutal gauntlet of bondage in the Big House, with both films sharing the lithesome lineup of cellblock sisters Kiuchi Akira, Nemoto Harumi , Kamon Youko, Asada Yoshimi and Mizutani Kei.

It’s called the House of Evils, where beasts in human flesh prowl the corridors and the most dangerous residents aren’t the luscious inmates, but the predatory guards. For the crime of assaulting her lover, Mizushima Saya has been sentenced to three years here, in the most brutal prison facility in Japan. It wasn’t supposed to be a life sentence, but unless the woman now know as Inmate 611can learn how to hold her own against both the ruthlessness of her fellow inmates and the brutal harassment of the guards, she’s got little chance of walking out the doors again with both mind and body intact. Stripped and shackled, but not yet broken, an international chain gang of red hot models and actresses prepare to march into the flames of the damned in HELLHOLE: INMATE 611! And HELLCAGE: INMATE 611 PT. 2!

HELLHOLE: INMATE 611 will be released on DVD in Japanese with English subtitles on November 19th while the DVD release of HELLCAGE: INMATE 611 PT. 2 will follow on January 28th, 2014

About Switchblade Pictures
With a growing roster of international exploitation films, Switchblade Pictures is dedicated to bringing the wildest and most unique entertainment programming to North America. Titles currently in release include the zombie cult phenomenons ATTACK GIRLS SWIM TEAM VS. THE UNDEAD and ZOMBIE HUNTER RIKA, the SULTRY ASSASSIN period epics APHRODISIAC KILL and NINJA BRAINWASH, and a wide range of daring erotic, horror and comedy programming from Japan.

About Section23 Films
Section23 Films provides home video marketing and distribution services for a variety of companies, including Sentai Filmworks, Switchblade Pictures, Maiden Japan and AEsir Holdings. With its special focus on genre entertainment, Section23 Films distributes some of the very best anime, martial arts, and horror titles on the market today.


Looks like Sentai has now decided to start dipping their toes in the Sub BD waters.

http://www.fandompost.com/oldforums/showthread.php?23850-Section23-Films-Dec-13-slate-preview

[QUOTE=WTK]via Sentai Filmworks industry panel @ Otakon:

Releases planned for December.

Magical Play on DVD [new to Sentai; former ADV Films title]

BTOOOM!

  • Dubbed on DVD & BD
  • Includes “Digests”

Di Gi Charat OVA (Specials)

  • SUBTITLED ONLY on DVD
  • Includes:
    Summer Special (4 eps @ 10-min ea)
    Christmas Special (1 eps @ 23-min)
    Flower Viewing Special (4 eps @ 10-min ea) [Ohanami]
    Summer Vacation Special (4 eps @ 11-min ea) [Natsuyasumi]
    Rainy Season Special [not exactly sure what this is]

Girls und Panzer TV Collection

  • Dubbed on DVD & BD
  • Episodes 5.5 & 10.5 will be included, but not dubbed
  • Sentai DOES have the OVAs, but they will be released separately

Humanity Has Declined

  • SUBTITLED ONLY buT on DVD & BD
  • Shorts are included

Kokoro Connect OVA

  • Dubbed on DVD & BD

Pet Girl of Sakurasou: Collection 1

  • SUBTITLED ONLY but on DVD & BD

Say “I Love You”

  • Dubbed on DVD & BD

So, I Can’t Play H

  • SUBTITLED ONLY but on DVD & BD[/QUOTE]

It’s a little sad to see that Humanity has Declined is not getting dub, but the blow is softened somewhat by the bluray offering. I figured they would experiment with some subonly bluray offerings in the future, but I wasn’t expecting three in one month. I’m guessing these are more of an experiment and their success or failure will decide whether more shows will get offered this way.

It also makes me wonder if their recent months of pretty much everything getting dubbed was not also an experiment.

[quote=“dragonrider_cody”]
It also makes me wonder if their recent months of pretty much everything getting dubbed was not also an experiment.[/quote]

That’s good point, I hadn’t really thought about that until you brought it up.
That would also account for some of the more odd dubbing choices as of recent months.

Guys, not cool to remind me of that the Golden Era of “the Sentai Rule” has ended, that bluray no longer equals dub. I suffered through it at the panel. The lone muffled Darth Vader-esque cry of “NOOOOOOO” that you might have heard, the lone counter to all the many dub-haters there (Otakon brings them out of the woodwork) cheering this “sub only” announcement, that was me. Ugh.

I bought 2 more copies of Persona 4 BD as a protest vote. I’d like to see the sub-only stuff left to NISA and RightStuf. As was established at the panel, NISA and RightStuf will do a sub-only bluray better than Sentai will. Brutal.

On the plus side I now know that Btooom! will get a dub and is still on the radar with that December release.

I was kinda looking forward to a dub for So I can’t play H and Humanity has Declined as they struck me as shows that Sentai could hit out of the park with a dub.

Also, if the Di Gi Charat “specials” OVA does not have the word “special” listed 6 times on the cover then we should mass protest after that panel lol.

Hmmm…so what happened to Upotte!!
It did come out before G&P, yet not a mention of it anywhere, not even a sub-only release.
Oh well…

As for sub-only BDs…sure, why not. This might also give them a reason to release some of those Tatsunoko releases sub-only on BD as well.

[quote=dragonrider_cody]
It also makes me wonder if their recent months of pretty much everything getting dubbed was not also an experiment.[/quote]

I can see that, especially since it might help them figure out which genres are better sellers with dubs.

[quote=“tonka”]
Hmmm…so what happened to Upotte!! [/quote]

Kadokawa happened to it most likely.
Considering how they played around with the FUNi licenses, I’m actually rather surprised Another wasn’t pushed back even farther, since Kadokawa released a JP BD box set not too long ago.

Really don’t understand why the extra episodes for Girls und Panzer aren’t dubbed (unless it’s because of the license). What price point are the sub only BD’s going to be at?

So, GuP is getting the Night Raid treatment… Eh, those two specials were boring anyway.

[quote=“Series5Ranger”]
What price point are the sub only BD’s going to be at?[/quote]

We won’t know for sure until the December solicitations come out later this month.

[quote=“TheCoffeeGod”]

[quote=“Series5Ranger”]
What price point are the sub only BD’s going to be at?[/quote]

We won’t know for sure until the December solicitations come out later this month.[/quote]

I’m gonna take a guess. Let’s look at the DVDs, at Right Stuf: for newer shows
Kill Me Baby (hybrid)
Retail: $59.98
Your: $44.99
Tari Tari
Retail: $44.98
Your. :$37.49

$15 difference retail price wise.
If it’s the same BD wise then,

BD
Mysterious Girlfriend X(hybrid)
Retail: $69.98
Your : $52.49
New sub-only BD
Retail: $54.98
Your :$45.49

Plus, don’t forget sales events and weekly specials. Again, me just guessing… :blink: