About 30 minutes ago I posted that Madman Entertainment would be distributing their “Recently in Cinemas” film Arrietty on both DVD and Blu-ray in Australia and New Zealand in May 2012. However, don’t think that is all for Studio Ghibli in this month… not by a long shot! Over the last year and a halfish, Madman Entertainment has made a total of five Studio Ghibli works available on Blu-ray (Laputa, My Neighbors the Yamadas, Nausicaa, Ponyo and Whisper of the Heart), however along with Arrietty – the total will be brought up to eight. At the same time as their release of Arrietty, they will also be distributing Blu-ray versions of Tales from Earthsea and one of my top three Ghibli films Howl’s Moving Castle.
For both of these series, this is their first time to be released on the video format and is being called the “Best Version in the World”, mixing extra content from both the original US release of the series, and those from Japan.
You heard this first from The Otaku’s Study!.. or at least I am almost certain you did.
About Howl’s Moving Castle
Sophie, an average teenage girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. After this chance meeting she is turned into a 90-year old woman by the vain and conniving Witch of the Waste. Embarking on an incredible adventure to lift the curse, she finds refuge in Howl’s magical moving castle where she becomes acquainted with Markl, Howl’s apprentice, and a hot-headed fire demon named Calcifer. As the true power of Howl’s wizardry is revealed, and his relationship with Sophie deepens, our young grey heroine finds herself fighting to protect them both from a dangerous war of sorcery that threatens their world.
About Tales from Earthsea
In the land of Earthsea, crops are failing and livestock dying. Two dragons appear from the storm clouds and devour each other – an omen of impending disaster. The balance of the world is in peril of tearing apart. In his search for the cause of this encroaching catastrophe, the Archmage Ged, the greatest of wizards, meets Arren, exiled Prince of Enlad, in flight from a nameless Shadow. They journey through ruined landscapes to Hort Town – a city where blank citizens deal only in fake goods, slaves are traded and addicts wander the dangerous streets – and cross paths with Therru, an orphan girl with a fire-scarred face. Ged learns that the wizard Cob, in his search for eternal life, is preparing to open the door between the realms of the living and the dead. An old and defeated adversary, Cob has sworn to take terrible revenge on Ged.
Related posts:
- Madman Entertainment to Release Arrietty on DVD and Blu-ray in May 2012
- Madman Entertainment to Release Whisper of the Heart on Blu-ray
- Siren Visual – Angel Beats to be Released on Blu-ray This November
- Madman Entertainment’s Trailer for Arrietty
- Baka and Test (Blu-ray) Delayed for a Month in Australia
