The Guide| Hong Kong & China| Japan| Korea| Thailand|Anime Anime
Posted on January 18, 2012 at 22:18 by Ulrik. 1 commentTweet this

I added these two discs some time ago to the database, but since the great cover artwork has only been revealed some days ago, I thought I should highlight the upcoming US Blu-ray Disc releases of Battle Royale on the front page as well.
Anchor Bay will release two edition of Kinji Fukasaku's cult hit Battle Royale on March 20th. The single-disc regular edition comes with the director's cut version of the first film while the Complete Collection will include both versions of Battle Royale, the director's cut of Battle Royale: Requiem plus several bonus features on four discs. The converted 3D version of the original film is still only available in Japan and Germany (Thanks for the heads-up, Martin) withouth English subtitles...

Posted on October 25, 2011 at 11:37 by Ulrik. 0 commentsTweet this

Well Go USA announced to release Jackie Chan's 100th film 1911 (aka 1911 Xinhai Revolution) on Blu-ray Disc on January 31, 2012. Directed by Li Zhang (director of photography for John Woo's Red Cliff series) and Chan himself, the historical drama starring Jackie Chan, his son Jaycee Chan, Bingbing Li and Winston Chao tells of the founding of the Republic of China.
Check out the US trailer and official synopsis below:

At the beginning of the 20th century, China is in a state of crisis. The country is split into warring factions, the citizens are starving, and recent political reforms have made matters worse, not better. The ruling Qing Dynasty, led by a seven-year-old emperor and his ruthless mother, Empress Dowager Longyu (Joan Chen), is completely out of touch after 250 years of unquestioned power. With ordinary citizens beginning to revolt openly, the Qing Dynasty has created a powerful, modern army (the “New Army”) to quash any rebellion. But weapons are expensive, and desperate for cash, the Qing leaders are trading anything they can get their hands on with foreign countries… and selling China.

Posted on August 30, 2011 at 11:17 by Ulrik. 12 commentsTweet this

This is what the region lock screen of Eureka Entertainment/Masters of Cinema's Harakiri (Seppuku) UK BD release looks like. What a bloody way to make a statement...

[via The Digital Fix]

Posted on August 22, 2011 at 14:28 by Ulrik. 5 commentsTweet this

Probably because Western distributors (I'm looking at you, Manga Entertainment UK!) just can't find the time to release Makoto Shinkai's 5 Centimeters per Second anime on Blu-ray Disc with English subtitles, the Japanese distributor CoMix Wave decided to re-release the film on his own on November 18th. The "Global Edition" Blu-ray Disc will not only include the main feature, but also Shinkai's Voices of a Distant Star and his 5 minutes short film She and Her Cat. 5 Centimeters per Seconds will come with Japanese and English audio plus Japanese, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Portugese, Korean, Chinese, Thai, Indonesian and Arabic subtitles. Voices of a Distant Star will have Japanese and English audio with English subtitles. She and Her Cat plus all bonus material will be English subtitled.
[via Can you Moe?, WTK & AnimeOnBlu]

Posted on August 15, 2011 at 07:37 by Ulrik. 2 commentsTweet this

Studio Ghibli is about to start a massive assault on the credit card accounts of HD anime lovers on November 16th. Together with Disney Home Entertainment, the studio will release three of their titles on Blu-ray Disc in Japan.
While Hayao Miyazaki's Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea is already available on Blu-ray Disc since 2009 and will only be re-released to match the package of the current Studio Ghibli BD releases, his 2004 feature Howl's Moving Castle has never been available in high definition except for one obscure Mexican release. Judging from the screenshots taken from the Joe Hisaishi in Budokan - Miyazaki Anime to Tomo ni Ayunda 25 Nenkan Blu-ray Disc this should be a real treat!
Hayao's son Goro Miyazaki will get the chance to show off Tales from Earthsea (Gdo Senki), his first feature for the studio. All three discs will include English subtitles and English audio. French, Italian, German, Korean and Chinese language options are also available on some of the releases.

Howl's Moving Castle - Tales from Earthsea - Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea


[via Can you Moe? & WTK]

Posted on August 11, 2011 at 22:27 by Ulrik. 0 commentsTweet this

A few hours after my little rant on Facebook about the lack of English subtitled Japanese Blu-ray Disc releases of interesting anime series and movies, Can you Moe? reports the following:
The latest work of director Makoto 'The next Hayao Miyazaki'Shinkai (5 Centimeters Per Second, The Place Promised in Our Early Days and Voices of a Distant Star), Hoshi o Ou Kodomo: Children who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below will be released with English (plus Japanese and Chinese) subtitles in Japan on November 25th.
A Regular and a Limited Edition are already listed at several retailers. The limited edition will include a special features disc and several bonus items like a film strip, a comic, an image board collection and a booklet.

[via WTK & Can you Moe?]

Posted on July 30, 2011 at 09:22 by Ulrik. 6 commentsTweet this

While the 2010 South Korean remake is already available in high definition for some time now, Kam & Ronson finally decided to release all three parts of John Woo and Tsui Hark's HK classic A Better Tomorrow series on Blu-ray Disc. All three films will be released in Hong Kong on August 5th and will probably be locked to Region A.
I really hope K&M will use better material for these films than they did for their Police Story and Once Upon A Time in China releases, but knowing K&M they probably won't or can't...

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 13:23 by Ulrik. 0 commentsTweet this

If you're wondering about the recent lack of updates on the main site, you should check out the official Asian Blu-ray Guide Facebook page. I'm updating the page several times a day with news bits, bargains and other tidbits. So head over there and give it a thumbs up!

Tags: facebook

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 12:54 by Ulrik. 0 commentsTweet this

After several delays from distributor Contents Zone, Asian retailer YesAsia finally listed the South Korean Blu-ray Disc release of A Bittersweet Life.
Kim Ji-Woon's 2005 thriller starring Lee Byung-Hun will hit the shelves on August 30th in two editions with different packages but both including the Director's cut and English subtitles.
The standard edition comes with a simple slipcover while the limited Coffee Book edition keeps the disc in a thick hardcover book. Both editions will also be packaded with four stills from the film.
I can't report anything about the Region Code (probably Region A) since Contents Zone didn't release any (relevant) Blu-ray Discs yet.

Posted on June 20, 2011 at 15:28 by Ulrik. 0 commentsTweet this

Good news for those who can't or just don't want to decide if they prefer the international or theatrical cut (check out wildgrounds' comparison) of Kim Ji-Woon's bloody thriller I Saw The Devil (악마를 보았다 ). The South Korean distributor Blue Kino announced to release a Blu-ray Disc set that will include both versions and English subtitles on July 27th.
Judging from the product image I stole from YesAsia, the set consists of two standard amaray cases packed inside a (limited) slipcase. Too bad they didn't use the nice fold-out package from the already released DVD set...

Posted on April 21, 2011 at 13:43 by Ulrik. 0 commentsTweet this

Fans of high octane racing rejoice! TC Entertainment Japan announced to release Takeshi Koike's Studio Madhouse racing anime REDLINE on BD in two editions with English subtitles on August 10th. While the regular edition comes in a standard amaray package, the Collector's edition will be packed in a digibook plus sleeve with a bonus SD DVD with several extra material and a never released bonus film (without English subtitles).

Those of you who don't want to pay the premium Japanese prices just have to wait until September 12th when Manga Entertainment UK plans to release the film on BD. US releases have also been announced, but so far without a proper release date.
[Thanks to Can you Moe? and WTK]

Posted on April 20, 2011 at 10:15 by Ulrik. 3 commentsTweet this

SciFi Japan reports, that US budget label Mill Creek Entertainment will bring Japan's favourite stone statue MAJIN to US shores in 2011. The label acquired the distribution rights for all three 1966 films, Majin: Monster of Terror, The Return of Giant Majin and Majin Strikes Again from Kadokawa for a home video release.
Currently details are scarce, but according to SciFi Japan the first two films are supposed to be released together as a double feature (just like Gamera: Guardian of the Universe + Attack of the Legion) including the original Japanese audio with English subtitles and the English dub in 2011. Since Majin Strikes Again was never dubbed in English, it will supposedly be released separately later with just the original audio track.
All three films are already available in Japan from Kadokawa since 2009, but as usual these releases don't include English subtitles.

Posted on April 11, 2011 at 09:44 by Ulrik. 0 commentsTweet this

This Summer could become really expensive for Studio Ghibli fans. This weekend Disney Home Entertainment Japan announced to release Yoshifumi Kondo and Hayao Miyazaki's 1995 Whisper of the Heart on Blu-ray Disc on July 20th to follow the Japanese home video release of Hiromasa Yonebayashi's The Borrower Arrietty (Karigurashi no Arrietty) in June.
Next to the original Japanese dub and subtitles, AV Watch mentions English, German, Korean and Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) dubs with English, Korean and Chinese subtitles.
[Thanks to WTK for the heads-up!]

Posted on March 17, 2011 at 19:34 by Ulrik. 2 commentsTweet this

Amazon and CDJapan just added the Japanese Blu-ray Disc release of Studio Ghibli's latest film The Borrower Arrietty (Karigurashi no Arrietty) from director Hiromasa Yonebayashi to their stock!
The full specs haven't been announced yet, but CDJapan tells us that the disc will include English, French and Japanese subtitles with the French, Korean, Mandarin and Cantonese dub next to the original Japanese audio track. The supposed release date is set for June 17th.
Judging by the cover artwork from Amazon.co.jp, this one will look great next to the Japanese releases of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Laputa Castle in the Sky and My Neighbors the Yamadas.

Posted on March 04, 2011 at 08:53 by Ulrik. 3 commentsTweet this

Three years after the English-subtitles-lacking Japanese Blu-ray Disc release of Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door, Image Entertainment finally announced to bring the film to US shores in high definition!
According to AnimeOnDVD, the release is set for June 28th and will include the original Japanese and the often praised English dub in 5.1 DTS-HD MA with English and Spanish subtitles.
An image comparison between several DVD releases and the Japanese Blu-ray Disc is available in the Bullets 'n' Babes forum.
[Thanks to Damon!]
Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door @ Asian Blu-ray Guide
Pre-order Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door from Amazon.com