With little more than a week to go until we cross into March 2014 (*Gasp* How quickly time does fly!), now is a better time than ever to consider just what will be available to purchase on the Australian anime market during the month. Across the month each Madman Entertainment, Siren Visual and Hanabee Entertainment will be releasing new titles – vying for your buck with a range of hopefully interesting and diverse titles.
With Hanabee Entertainment once again releasing titles in the early-days of the month (March 5th to be precise), they are the fortunate ones who get their titles showcased first. The full list of titles included below features a sequel, a box-set re-release and two brand new series.
Girls und Panzer – Complete TV Series
DVD / Blu-ray | $59.99 / $64.99 | Hybrid Dub
Features episodes 1-12 plus two additional episodes (5.5 and 10.5).
It’s all fun and games until the tanks roll in…then it’s just a blast! The students at Oarai Academy are bringing back a long forgotten subject that features guns – really, really big guns! Dubbed as Tankery, the program studies the martial art of operating armoured tanks. Clearly this is not for the faint of heart and to join you’ll need people as driven and enthusiastic as the tanks they’ll need to control.
Suffice to say the first students to become inducted into the art of Tankery are all a bit eccentric. You have Team Turtle consisting of three members from the student council, Team Duck the former members of the volleyball club, Team Hippo a group of four passionate history buffs, Team Rabbit a mis-match of group six first year students and lastly the stars of the class, Team Anglerfish who are every bit as odd as their mascot. Regardless these girls are all ready to get locked and loaded for the art of Tankery. Panzer vor!
AKB0048 – Next Stage
DVD | $59.99 | Hybrid Dub
Features episodes 1-13, concluding the series as it stands in Japan at this point in time.
Musical warfare is serious business. Internal strife amongst past and new members of AKB0048 is deepening whilst the increased attacks by the opposing DES forces on entertainment is creating great discord amongst the galaxy. The AKB0048, combat squad singing group, are fighting what seems to be a battle on all fronts.
In response, AKB0048 are changing tactics and bringing back policies that were previously abandoned since the disappearance of group member Acchan. But with the newly reinstated centre nova position and the general elections at the forefront of their minds, it seems the members of this all-star band of sisters might be missing what’s directly in front of them. Will they manage to re-harmonise together or get lost in the chaos?
Cardfight!! Vanguard Part 1/4
DVD | $49.99 | Hybrid Dub
Features episodes 1-16 and includes a complementary Flash Fight set included in first print editions at the very least.
It’s time – Stand up, my Vanguard! Shy third year middle school student, Aichi Sendou, doesn’t have much going for him when he spends most of his time contemplating on the past. But his life is due for a change and it all rests on a card called “Blaster Blade”, given to him when he was young.
“Blaster Blade” is apart of “Cardfight!! Vanguard”, a card game that is sweeping the world by storm for its highly realistic gaming system. Through Toshiki Kai, a highly skilled Vanguard player, Aichi’s boring life will be turned upside down as he’s quickly introduced into this competitive world. As Aichi immerses himself deeper into the Vanguard world, the less he finds himself looking into the past and instead setting his sights more on his future to prove his worth.
Bodacious Space Pirates – Complete Box Set
DVD / Blu-ray | $79.99 / $89.99 | Hybrid Dub
Features episodes 1-26, comprising of all episodes that make up the original Bodacious Space Pirates TV series.
It’s time for some swashbuckling fun in space! Marika Kato was a normal high-school student with every day issues. That is, at least, until she finds out that she’s the child of a legendary pirate and the newly dubbed captain of the space pirate ship Bentenmaru!
Now Marika is faced with a whole new set of dilemmas as she juggles her student life with her pirate life. But faced with ghost ships, infectious cat-monkeys and pirate hunters, will she survive her new occupation and live to tell the tale? For Marika, at least, she has her friends from school and the crew of Bentenmaru to help her navigate these troublesome waters.
