Screen Anime February 2021 Line-up Adds Mirai, Cyber City Oedo 808, HAL, Momotaro & Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
Online film festival Screen Anime announced their next batch of anime films and a series for their platform starting Monday 25th January 2021 until Thursday 25th February 2021.
The titles below will be replacing Miss Hokusai, The Place Promised in our Early Days, Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, Genius Party Beyond and the series The Tatami Galaxy.
Mirai
(Mirai no Mirai)
Audio: English, Japanese
Screen Anime’s Premiere title is Mamoru Hosoda’s 2018 film Mirai from Studio Chizu. An original story from Mamoru Hosoda, the director of Summer Wars and Wolf Children, with music composed by Masakatsu Takagi. The film was also nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 91st Academy Awards.
“The birth of a sibling is a joyous time for many, but not for Kun. Four years old and spoiled rotten, he sees the arrival of baby sister Mirai as competition for his parents’ love. That is, until magical encounters with an older Mirai and family past, present and future send the siblings on an intimate journey through time and space, to confront Kun’s uncertain feelings and prepare him to become the big brother he needs to be.”
Anime Limited licensed Mirai in 2018 for theatrical and home video release. The film was presented as a collector’s edition Blu-ray set followed by standard Blu-ray & DVD in July 2019.
Cyber City Oedo 808
Audio: English (UK & Japanese soundtrack ver.), Japanese
Screen Anime’s Classic title is Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s 1990-1991 original video anime series Cyber City Oedo 808 from studio Madhouse. Joining Yoshiaki Kawajiri, the director of Ninja Scroll and Wicked City, is writer Akinori Endo and music composer Kazz Toyama. The Manga Entertainment UK English dub with Rory McFarlane’s music score is also included.
“Oedo, 2808: A cybernetic megalopolis where dreams of a brighter tomorrow drown in a tide of violence, vice and villainy. Driven to breaking point, the forces of law and order are left with no choice but to use the very criminals they capture to help hunt their own kind.
Enter hardened cyber criminals Sengoku, Gogul, and Benten, who are presented with a stark choice: rot in jail for the rest of their lives, or join a special force of the Cyber Police and fight for one last chance for freedom. With their less than subtle blend of extreme violence and excessive swearing, some hard justice is coming to Oedo, but will they survive long enough to be free men once again?”
Anime Limited licensed Cyber City Oedo 808 in 2018 for home video release. The OVA series was presented as a collector’s edition Blu-ray set in January 2021.
HAL
(Haru)
Audio: English, Japanese
Screen Anime’s Festival Favourite title is Ryoutarou Makihara’s 2013 film HAL from WIT Studio. Joining Ryoutarou Makihara, the director of Project Itoh: The Empire of Corpses, is writer Izumi Kizara and music composer Michiru Oshima.
“Kurumi’s heart was broken by the sudden death of her boyfriend in a tragic airplane accident. Forced to carry on without her beloved Hal, she fell into a reclusive and joyless existence. Kurumi had given up on the world, but a brilliant scientist devised a plan to win her back.
By melding futuristic technology with the binary equivalent of human emotion, they created an ultra-lifelike robotic surrogate to take Hal’s place and lure Kurumi from her shroud of solitude. Resistant at first, this shattered beauty slowly yielded to her feelings of longing and took comfort in the company of a robot. Though their unique bond grew stronger with each passing day, Kurumi and Hal would soon discover that nothing about their artificial love story was quite as it seemed.”
Anime Limited licensed HAL in 2013 for home video release. The film was presented as a collector’s edition Blu-ray & DVD combo set in October 2014 followed by standard Blu-ray & DVD in March 2015.
Momotaro: Sacred Sailors
(Momotarou: Umi no Shinpei)
Audio: Japanese
Screen Anime’s Curated title is Mitsuyo Seo’s 1945 film Momotaro: Sacred Sailors from Shochiku’s Moving Picture Laboratory. This is the first feature-length Japanese anime and was designed as propaganda for the Japanese Naval Ministry during the Second World War.
Shochiku was able to recover the original masters and restore the film, where it is now presented in High Definition. Anime Limited licensed Momotaro: Sacred Sailors in 2016 for home video release. The film was presented as a collector’s edition Blu-ray & DVD combo set in April 2018.
Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
Audio: English, Japanese
Screen Anime’s Series Marathon title is Mahiro Maeda’s 2014 series Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo from studio Gonzo. The series is based on Alexandre Dumas’ 1844 novel The Count of Monte Cristo. Joining Mahiro Maeda, who is also one of the directors for Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time, is writer Shuuichi Kouyama and music composer Jean-Jacques Burnel.
“Albert is a young man of privilege in Paris, but the trappings of his aristocratic birth leave him bored and unsatisfied. Seeking adventure, his restless spirit leads him to a festival on the moon – and to the Count of Monte Cristo. An enigmatic man of charm and wealth, his charm and sophistication captivate Albert, who invites the nobleman to mingle with the upper echelons of Parisian society.
Soon, the Count is courting the favour of France’s most powerful families, but little does Albert know, as his new friend walks the ornate halls of the highest class, the Count of Monte Cristo wants only to bring them crashing down through vengeance.”
Anime Limited licensed Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo in 2014 for home video release. The television series was presented as a collector’s edition Blu-ray set in February 2016 followed by a standard Blu-ray set in April 2017.
Source: Screen Anime Press Release
