Not surprising given their work with past Haruoki TV anime instalments, North American anime publisher Sentai Filmworks have confirmed they now hold the rights to Hakuoki ~ Demon of the Floating Blossom: Wild Dance of Kyoto (Aka. Hakuōki Dai-isshō Kyoto Ranbu). This is the first part of a feature film duology, which is based on the original video game and anime series. In this fil, Chizuru Yukimura heads to Kyoto in search of her father, a doctor who has disappeared. However, she soon discovers that the city hides deadly creatures within its shadows, and that a fearsome group of swordsmen, the famed Shinsengumi, help maintain a tenuous peace. As both parties attempt to find the missing doctor, Chizuru and the men of the Shinsengumi will discover things about themselves that they would rather have left a mystery.
This film has been directed and scripted by Osamu Yamasaki (Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East), while Atsuko Nakajima (Get Backers, Ranma ½) took charge of anime direction and character designs. Original character designs for this title have been provided by Yone Kazuki (Kamigami no Asobi, Nobunaga the Fool).
So when can you pick up Hakuoki ~ Demon of the Floating Blossom: Wild Dance of Kyoto? Sentai Filmworks have noted that it will be available first through select digital distribution platforms, with a home video release to follow at a currently unspecified date.
