ADV UK DVD Releases For January 2005

Date: 2004 December 19 16:52

Posted by Joe

Those nice people at ADV UK have sent us details for their January releases.
The list is as follows:

- Get Backers Volume 1
- Gad Guard Volume 1
- Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi Volume 2
- Rune Soldier Volume 4
- Final Fantasy: Unlimited - Phase 6
- Slayers Premium

Interestingly Get Backers has been rumoured for UK release since AmeCon, when the dub was given an official preview screening. So for the January ADV list the Otaku News Crew recommend Get Backers and Slayers Premium since the Slayers range is always popular with fans.

Full Story

Press release as follows:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RELEASE DATE SET FOR ACTION-COMEDY GET BACKERS VOL.1: G & B ON THE CASE

1st VOLUME OF YOUR NEW FAVOURITE ANIME SERIES AVAILABLE 17TH JANUARY 2005

LONDON, UK, 17th DECEMBER 2004 - ADV Films today announced a 17th January 2005 release date for Get Backers Volume 1: G & B On The Case, the first exciting and comical volume in this action-packed series. The Get Backers volumes are based on the hit manga by Rando Ayamine and Yuya Aoki as seen in Weekly Shonen Magazine (Japanese), and now available in UK stores stocking grpahic novels. The high stakes action scenes were animated by Studio Deen, who have brought fans popular series such as King of Bandit Jing and Cowboy Bebop.

The Story:
Everyone knows the feeling of coming home and finding their home broken into. Your possessions thrown around, dresser drawers are ransacked and everything you own has the unmistakable feel of a stranger's fingers on them. Then you realize some of your belongings are missing. Don't despair, call Ban and Ginji, the Get Backers. They'll dodge bullets, go up against evil foes and risk their lives to get back your stuff. They're one phone call away, and they're ready to take your case!

Get Backers Vol.1: G & B On The Case (RRP £19.99) is a DVD-only release, containing five complete episodes presented in widescreen anamorphic format, and includes English 5.1-language and Japanese 2.0-language versions, with English subtitles. Extras include: episode commentaries, behind the scenes, clean opening and closing animation, and ADV Previews.

Get Backers Vol.1: G & B On The Case
Running Time: 125m
BBFC Classification: 12
Street Date: 17/01/04
Cat#: DGBK-001
Format: DVD
RRP: £19.99


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RELEASE DATE SET FOR MECHA FANTASY GAD GUARD VOL.1: LIGHTNING

1st VOLUME OF ELECTRIC FANTASY AVAILABLE 17TH JANUARY 2005

LONDON, UK, 17th DECEMBER 2004 - ADV Films today announced a 17th January 2005 release date for Gad Guard Volume 1: Lightning, the first volume in this atmospheric and original electric fantasy. With their signature mix of traditional and CGI animation, GONZO give us a fantasy take on the mecha genre, a story that mixes metal and magic, where the city is another character altogether, and 80s skateboards mix with 60s scooters amidst the traffic.

Directed by Hiroshi Nishikiori (Angelic Layer, Azumanga Daioh), the original character designs are from Masahiro Aizawa (Zone of the Enders: Idolo, Slayers Gorgeous), the mechanical designs from Toshiharu Murata (Hellsing, Colorful, You're Under Arrest, Get Backers) and scripts from Reiko Yoshida (Samurai X: Reflection, King of Bandit Jing, Kaleido Star).

The Story:
Many people have searched for it, many have stolen it, and many will kill for it. The Gad is a seemingly magical stone that, once making a strong spiritual connection with someone, will grow into a very powerful robot known as a Techode: a mechanical being that embodies the will of the bonded person. This is the story of Hajiki Sanada, a boy struggling to help support his fatherless family in an electricity-impoverished city known as Night Town. One day he encounters a Gad and special bond is formed. Now his life will never be the same...

Gad Guard Vol.1: Lightning (RRP £19.99) is a DVD-only release, containing five complete episodes presented in widescreen anamorphic format, and includes English and Japanese 2.0-language versions, with English subtitles. Extras include: promotional trailer, clean opening, promo art gallery, and ADV Previews.

Gad Guard Vol.1: Lightning
Running Time: 100m
BBFC Classification: PG
Street Date: 17/01/04
Cat#: DGAD-001
Format: DVD
RRP: £19.99


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RELEASE DATE SET FOR MADCAP COMEDY MAGICAL SHOPPING ARCADE ABENOBASHI VOL.2: IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD ALTERNATE WORLD

2ND VOLUME OF NEW GAINAX COMEDY CLASSIC AVAILABLE 17TH JANUARY 2005


LONDON, UK, 17th DECEMBER 2004 - ADV Films today announced a 17th January 2005 release date for Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi Volume 2: It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Alternate World! Fusing thrilling action, slapstick comedy and a bit of family drama with uproariously clever parodies of anime, video games and any other pop culture target that stumbles into its crosshairs, the series is the latest creation of GAINAX, the mega-talented production studio that revolutionized the anime industry in the nineties with Neon Genesis Evangelion, and the early 21st century with FLCL. Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi was directed by Hiroyuki Yamaga (Neon Genesis Evangelion, Wings of Honneamise) and co-produced by Madhouse (Vampire Hunter D, Trigun, Ninja Scroll).

The Story:
Crazier than crack, madder than a March hare: it's the weirder, wilder, wackier second volume of Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi! Suffice it to say that Arumi and Sasshi still haven't convinced that pesky goblin to send them back to the sanity of the real world. From dinosaurs to detectives, cavemen to crime bosses, each jump the pair makes takes them to another fantastic world that's even more frenetic than the last! Get ready for more action, antics, adventure - and a trip to the past that gives us a glimpse of a puerile punk named Masa (yes, that Masa)! The two kids from Osaka will square off against meteors, magicians, and the mob! You'll laugh. You'll laugh again. You might even get grossed out. (But hey, at least you won't cry.) It's all waiting for you in the second off-the-wall volume of

Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi!
Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi Vol.2: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Alternate World! (RRP £19.99) is a DVD-only release, containing three complete episodes presented in widescreen anamorphic format, and includes English 5.1-language and Japanese 2.0-language versions, with English subtitles. Extras include: exclusive twelve-page color booklet, AD Vid-Notes™; clean opening and closing animation, and ADV Previews.

Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi Vol.2: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Alternate World!
Running Time: 75m approx.
BBFC Classification: 15
Street Date: 17/01/04
Cat#: DMSS-002
Format: DVD
RRP: £19.99


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ADV FILMS ANNOUNCES RELEASE DATE FOR RUNE SOLDIER VOL.4: MONSTERS AND MAYHEM

ROLLICKING FANTASY ADVENTURE-COMEDY CONTINUES ON 17th JANUARY 2005

LONDON, UK, 10th December 2004 - ADV Films today announced a 17th January 2005 release date for the DVD release of Rune Soldier Vol.4: Monsters and Mayhem. This fourth volume contains four complete episodes, and debuts complete & uncut on region 2 DVD.

The talented crew behind this animated version of the original manga by Ryo Mizuno (RECORD OF LODOSS WAR) include writer Katsuhiko Chiba (Gundam Wing, Outlaw Star, Inu Yasha), animator-turned-director Yoshitaka Koyama (Dirty Pair Flash, Dragon Ball Z – the Movie 3), character designer Kazunori Iwakura (Burn up Excess, Slayers Great), animation director Takashi Wada (the upcoming Azumanga Daioh) and prolific composer Kenji Kawai (Dai-Guard, Zaion: I Wish You Were Here, Ghost In The Shell, Patlabor and the Ring movies). The varied humour will be appreciated as much by sitcom fans as role-playing aficionados, running the gamut from verbal wit to slapstick.

The Story:
Strange deeds are afoot in the country of Ohfun. On the western border, an army has begun to gather in secret. Whispers of names from an old conflict keep getting louder, not to mention rumors of monsters… and of a magician who may be growing them in secret. But between Merrill's impending marriage to a rich heir and a vacation spoiled by a giant lake serpent, there's no time to spare for justice. Still, when the adventurers come across an actual monster farm in the ruins of an old estate, they decide a little house cleaning is in order—even if it means making a mess!

Rune Soldier Vol.4: Monsters and Mayhem (RRP £19.99) is a DVD-only release, containing four episodes in English and Japanese language versions, with English subtitles. Extras include clean opening and closing animations, and ADV previews.

RUNE SOLDIER VOL.4: MONSTERS AND MAYHEM
Running Time: 100m approx.
BBFC Classification: PG
Street Date: 10/01/04
Cat#: DLR/004
Format: DVD
RRP: £19.99

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ADV ANNOUNCES RELEASE DATE FOR FINAL FANTASY: UNLIMITED – PHASE SIX

SIXTH VOLUME OF VIDEOGAME TIE-IN SERIES AVAILABLE 17th JANUARY 2005

LONDON, UK, 17th December 2004 - ADV Films today announced a 17th January 2005 release date for the sixth volume of Final Fantasy: Unlimited, the companion anime television series to the popular Final Fantasy role-playing video games. Phase Six includes three complete episodes and is loaded with extras.

In addition to its tie-in to the spectacularly successful video game franchise, Final Fantasy: Unlimited's production team speaks to the quality of the title. Final Fantasy: Unlimited is directed by Mahiro Maeda, one of the most acclaimed anime directors in Japan. Maeda was handpicked to direct two of the animated shorts included in The Animatrix, the anime side project based on the hit feature film The Matrix.

Producers for the series are SQUARE TV Tokyo (NOIR) and Dentsu (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex), with animation produced by Gonzo Digimation, animators of Hellsing, Full Metal Panic!, Last Exile, and the upcoming Gad Guard and Chrono Crusade.

The Story:
In what seems to be a freak accident, Pist's machinations deposit Jane within a stone's throw of Gaudium. While Cid and the crew try to bring the submarine up to full operation, Chobi and Yu infiltrate the massive floating fortress. It seems the Earl has been waiting for them, and he has something to show Yu... The trials are far from over, though. The group again finds itself brought to another cube, a desert planet, where the locals face a towering tsunami of terror. A trip down Memory Lane brings with it a new ally, but it won't do the twins any good if they can't extract themselves from the temptations of the past. Will they reach their goal? Or will Chaos eat them alive? Discover the boundless adventure that awaits you in the penultimate volume of Final Fantasy: Unlimited!

Final Fantasy: Unlimited—Phase 6 (RRP £19.99 DVD) is a DVD-only release, containing three complete episodes. Includes both English- and Japanese-language versions, with English subtitles. Extras include: voice actor commentary; production sketches; FF:U Style Guide; reversible cover; ADV previews and more!

FINAL FANTASY: UNLIMITED – PHASE SIX
Running Time: 75m approx.
BBFC Classification: U
Street Date: 17/01/04
Cat#: DFF/006
Format: DVD
RRP: £19.99


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ADV FILMS ANNOUNCES RELEASE DATE FOR SLAYERS PREMIUM

FINAL FEATURE VERSION OF FAN-FAVOURITE SLAYERS FANTASY-ADVENTURE SERIES AVAILABLE 17th JANUARY 2005

LONDON, UK, 17th December 2004 - ADV Films today announced a 17th January 2005 release date for Slayers: Premium, the final feature spun off from the fan-favourite fantasy-adventure anime series Slayers.

Slayers: Premium, originally premiering in Japanese cinemas on the same bill as the DiGi Charat movie, re-teams the original cast of the Slayers TV series, headlined by Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev, to entertain fans one more time with (mis)adventures that are equal parts action and comedy. The movie is based on a manga by Hajime Kanzaka (Lost Universe) and directed by Junichi Sato (Sailor Moon, Preteat, the upcoming Kaleido Star).

The Story:
Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev have teamed up again along with their friends from the original Slayers TV show to save an indulgent village from the wrath of an underwater nemesis. Lina thinks spending a little time by the seaside will afford her some much-needed R&R, but little does she know the action is about to begin! After accepting their much-awaited reward of seafood delights from a fishing village, Lina and Gourry discover that the village food supply has been cursed. Whoever eats the food loses their ability speak in anything but a bizarre aquatic language. Lina must brave the perils of the deep to get to the bottom of this mysterious hex on humanity. And what would Lina say about the feeling Gourry is try to tell her – if she could only understand this strange tongue?

Slayers: Excellent (RRP £19.99) is a DVD-only release, including both English and Japanese 2.0 versions, with English subtitles. Extras include: voice cast commentary, Behind The Scenes, Slayers trailers and ADV previews.

SLAYERS EXCELLENT
Running Time: 30m (+ 60m of extras)
BBFC Classification: 12
Street Date: 15/01/05
Cat#: DSL/007
Format: DVD
RRP: £19.99


About ADV Films:
ADV Films is the leading producer-distributor of Japanese animation ("anime") in the United Kingdom, with the firm's holdings including such premier titles as Neon Genesis Evangelion, Spriggan, Samurai X, RahXephon, Hellsing, Martian Successor Nadesico and Full Metal Panic! In addition, ADV Films distributes select fine programming in other genres, including live-action science-fiction titles such as the legendary updated Gamera films. Aside from moving-picture content production and distribution, ADV Films' U.S. parent company, A.D. Vision, Inc., is the publisher of Newtype USA, the premier anime and manga monthly in the English-speaking world, and is the operator of North America's Anime Network cable channel. In addition to the London office, A.D. Vision, Inc. maintains world headquarters in Houston, Texas, USA with additional studios in Austin, Texas and offices in Tokyo.