Written by Ross Locksley on 11 Feb 2025
Animeigo recently ran an online town hall to announce a slew of classic titles coming to the West, many for the first time in glorious remasters, one even going so far as to have 3D glasses bundled in! Here's what's coming from MediaOCD/Animeigo (and possibly MVM since they seem to be partnering up!). In either case, Animeigo's releases tend to be region free, so worth a look even here in the UK.
Looking for the Full Moon (2002)
A supernatural tale surrounding aspiring singer, the twelve year old Mutsuki Koyama, and her dreams of becoming a singer to reunite with her orphanage friend Eichi. A mix of musical drama, otherworldly magic and unrequited love, the series spans 52 episodes with part 1 being released in August.
Released in HD and restored with AstroRes.
Sasuke (1968)
With 29 episodes across a 3 disc set, this archive gem will get its first ever Western release. Set at the beginning of the 17th century Edo Period, the young Sasuke loses his mother and, to his knowledge, father and must learn the techniques of the Sarutobi in order to survive the wrath of Tokugawa and his right-hand man Hanzo Hattori. A compelling and brutal historical drama wherein our hero must learn and grow, overcoming all the opponents the vengeful Lord can throw at him.
This release will contain both an English subtitles and an English dub, opening up a real piece of anime history to Western fans.
Nasu: Summer in Andalusia (2003)
A 45 minute film from the multi-talented Kitaro Kosaka, a long time collaborator with Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke) the film was adapted from a short series of manga by Io Kuroda. The film was the first Japanese anime ever selected for the Cannes Film Festival.
The story of a Spanish cyclist named Pepe Benengeli, the story follows his entry in the Vuelta a Espana Road Bicycle Race through his home town in the Iberian region of Andalusia. Discovering by accident that his team manager intends to fire him, he abandons his role as backup racer (dominique) for the team's main rider and sets out to win the race for himself.
Releases on March 11th.
Nobody's Boy Remi (1977)
(Description from the MediaOCD site):
Remi is a poor but happy boy living with his mother in the French countryside, but when his father returns from the city, his happiness ends abruptly. Within days, Remi is sold to Vitalis, a homeless street performer, and forced to perform on street corners with animals. As Remi adjusts to his new life, he learns that Vitalis isn't such a bad guy... but nothing can prepare him for life as a street urchin.
An animated tour-de-force from legendary director Osamu Dezaki and animation director Akio Sugino, Nobody's Boy Remi is a powerful and inspiring tale of survival. Contains all 51 episodes.
Vampire Princess Miyu (1988)
A classic vampire tale based on the horror manga by Narumi Kakinouchi and Toshiki Hirano. The OVA contains 4 episodes that each tells its own tale of supernatural drama with the constant being the aid of a spiritualist named Himiko. It's a beautiful and haunting world that will certainly benefit from a HD restoration.
Romeo's Blue Skies - aka Romeo and the Black Brothers (1995)
a 33 episode series based on the 1941 novel by Lisa Tetzner, the tale is set in the Swiss village of Sonogno in 1875. Young Romeo lives with a family burdened with debt, further struggling when a drought devastates their crops. Sold into slavery, he struggles to to make his way in Milan as a chimney sweep. He finds friends and learns about love, loyalty and maturity in a charming and often emotional coming-of-age tale.
The series will be released as a 3-disc set in June 2025 in both SD fullscreen and HD widescreen formats.
Black Jack: The Complete OVA Series (1993-2011)
Created by manga legend Osamu Tezuka, the medical adventures of Black Jack have become part of anime's legend, the series' lead resolves medical mysteries which usually include morality tales as part of their resolution. The OVA's are stand-alone tales that were released between 1993 and 2011. This collection brings them all together in one master collection.
For more information, visit the MediaOCD website.
Ross founded the UK Anime Network waaay back in 1995 and works in and around the anime world in his spare time. You can read his more personal articles on UKA's sister site, The Anime Independent.
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