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U.K. Home Release of Kaiji Ultimate Survivor Collector's Blu-ray on Monday

On Monday January 29, Anime Limited will release the first season of Kaiji -Ultimate Survivor- as a Collector's Blu-ray, including a 20-page booklet and an A3 booklet.

Sentai Filmworks describes the anime:

"Kaiji Ito has serious issues. Not only is he a social misfit, but he's also a deadbeat petty gambler. After he gets duped into co-signing a loan for his friend, he's stuck owing the Yakuza millions! Things start looking up when he's given the opportunity to win his life back by gambling with other lucky participants on a mysterious casino ship, but he quickly realizes that more than just money is at stake. Soon Kaiji and the other contestants discover the depths of human depravity when there is nothing left to lose — except their lives."

Nobuyuki Fukumoto serialized the original manga in Kodansha's Young Magazine from 1996 to 1999, and it has inspired multiple sequels and spinoffs.

Anime Limited will also release Parasyte -the maxim- as a Collector's Blu-ray, including a 60-page booklet with character designs and artwork, and an A3 poster with one of the Japanese video artworks.

Kenichi Shimizu directed the series at Studio Madhouse with Shoji Yonemura (Guin Saga, Glass Fleet) in charge of series composition. Tadashi Hiramatsu (Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, Kare Kano) designed the characters and Ken Arai composed the music. Sentai Filmworks described the story:

"Unbeknownst to mankind the world is quietly being invaded. Alien beings known as “Parasytes” begin infiltrating humans one by one, burrowing into their brains to take complete control of both their bodies and their identities. With an insatiable hunger for human flesh these cold and calculating creatures mutate into grotesque monsters who feed on the unsuspecting when they're not hiding behind the faces of everyday people. Only Shinichi Izumi, a lone high school boy, is aware of the terror lurking in plain sight. After one Parasyte's attempt to take over his brain ends in failure, Shinichi's right arm is instead possessed by this monster with a mind and an agenda all its own."

Hitoshi Iwaaki serialized the manga in Kodansha's Afternoon magazine from 1990-1995.

Anime Limited will also release Shirobako as a Collector's Blu-ray, including a 48-page booklet and eight art cards. Anime Limited describes the story:

"Once upon a time, five girls made an animated film and it was so much fun that they pledged to get jobs in animation so that someday they could make another film together. Now, two years later, Aoi, Shizuka, Ema, Misa and Midori have learned the truth about the anime industry: it's not always fun, it's anything but easy, and having talent isn't always enough to open the right doors. Which is why Aoi's overwhelmed by her job as a production assistant, Shizuka's waiting on tables between auditions, Midori's currently scriptless, Misa's switched to CG, and Ema's working long hours as a key animator. Is it what they imagined?"

Tsutomu Mizushima directed the series at P.A. Works. Ponkan8 designed original characters and Kanami Sekiguchi adapted them for the anime series. Michiko Yokote oversaw the series and Tsutomu Mizushima directed the sound. Yoko Ishida performed the opening theme, "Colorful Box," and Juri Kimura, Haruka Yoshimura, and Haruka Chisuga performed the ending theme, "Animetic Love Letter."

Anime Limited will also release Patlabor: The Movie as a Collector's Blu-ray, including a 36-page booklet. The 1989 film was directed by Mamoru Oshii.