Mill Creek Entertainment; AMAZON

Every Saturday morning during the late 1980s and early 1990s, I would wake up early, get a bowl of sugary cereal, sit in front of the television set, and watch mindless animated bliss. Well, that was back when network TV actually aired cartoons.

While there are still cartoons being aired on cable channels, as an adult, I have no interest in watching any of them.

Why the change of heart?

I just don't care very much for today's animation styles and many of the new cartoons are way too silly for me.

This morning I found myself watching a few episodes on the Anime: 3-Series Collection DVD (NOT RATED; 13 hours 52 minutes; $24.98), which was released earlier this year by Mill Creek Entertainment. The 3-disc set includes Ultra Violet: Code 044, Kurozuka, and Viper's Creed.

Ultraviolet: Code 044 is based on the 2006 dystopian science fiction film Ultraviolet starring Milla Jovovich. Created by Madhouse animation studio, the series is centered around 044, a nineteen-year-old female super-solider who was genetically manipulated by a virus which gives her superhuman abilities. The only downside is that her life expectancy is reduced significantly. During the series 12-epsiode run, 044 goes on a mission to destroy the outlaw group Phage.


Based on the Japanese novel of the same name by Baku Yumemakura, Kurozuka is a 12-part series centering around a swordsman named Kuro who falls in love with Kurozuka, a vampire. After being attacked by the Red Imperial Army, Kurozuka attempts to turn an injured Kuro into an immortal. However, things don't go as planned. Kuro awakens to find himself in a future post-nuclear Japan that is controlled by the Red Army.


Viper's Creed is a a mecha action anime series that aired for a few episodes in 2009 (or was it 2008?) before being pulled from the air due to low ratings. Only 12 episodes were produced. The series is set in a post WWIII world where an environmental catastrophe has caused the world's cities to flood. To help rebuild civilization, the governments hired PMCs (Private Military Corporations) to enforce the law. One of the PMC units is called Argon Global Security Corporation, which uses an elite military unit, Viper, to stop terrorism and other violent crimes in Fort Daiva City.

Final Thoughts

Harlock: Space Pirate
Director: Shinji Aramaki
Voice Cast: Shun Oguri, Haruma Miura, Yu Aoi
Studio: Ketchup Entertainment
Release Date: March 31, 2015
Retail: $20.99
ASIN: B00RDEISAA
Running Time: 111 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on DVD tomorrow from Ketchup Entertainment for the first time in United States is the 2003 Japanese 3D CG anime Harlock: Space Pirate. Directed by Shinji Aramaki (Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, Halo Legends, Appleseed Saga: Ex Machina), the film features the voices of Shun Oguri, Haruma Miura and Yo Aoi. The movie can be played with the original Japanese voices, an English subtitles version or with English dubbed voices. There are no special features or bonus extras on the disc.

Based on the manga series Space Pirate Captain Harlock by Leiji Matsumoto, the film centers on a young soldier, Yama, of the Gaia Coalition, whom is ordered to volunteer as a new member of Captain Harlock's renegade crew aboard the pirate spaceship Arcadia. Once he is trusted by them, he is to take out the Captain.


While his orders seem to be simple at first, Yama quickly realizes that Captain Harlock might not be the bad guy that the Gaia Coalition claims, especially after the Captain saves his life. He quickly learns that the startling truth of what really happened to Earth and he goes on a quest with the crew of the Arcadia to seek out justice.

The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya
Director: Isao Takahata
Voice Cast: Chole Grace Mortez, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Darren Criss, Lucy Liu,
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: February 17, 2015
Retail: $34.98
ASIN: B00PHSDS0E
Running Time: 2hrs 18mins
Rating: PG
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:
 
Arriving on Blu-ray today, Tuesday February 17, 2015, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment is the critically acclaimed Japanese anime The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya. The film is produced by Studio Ghibli and directed by Isao Takahata. The American dubbed version features the voices of Chole Grace Mortez, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Darren Criss, Lucy Liu, Hynden Walch, James Marsden, Beau Bridges, Dean Cain, Oliver Platt, Daniel Da Kim, George Segal, John Cho, Emily Bridges and Liam O'Brien. Bonus Features include: "Isao Takahata and His Tale of The Princess Kaguya" - 86-minute documentary on the making of The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya, Announcement of the Completion of the Film, Japanese Trailers & TV Spots and US Trailers.

The film has received a 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and has won several awards, including Best Animated Feature awards at the Toronto Film Critics Association, 40th Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, 35th Boston Society of Critics Awards, 36th Mill Valley Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, 8th Asia Pacific Screen Award and the 68th Mainichi Film Awards. It has been nominated for Best Animated Feature Film for the 87th Academy Awards.

Based on the Japanese folktale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya tells the story about a bamboo cutter Sanuki no Miyatsuko (voiced by James Caan), who discovers a miniature girl inside of a glowing bamboo. He brings the girl home to his wife, Ona (voiced by Mary Steenburgen), and names her "Princess." They are shocked when the miniature girl magically turns into an infant.

As the days pass by, Princess (voiced by  Chole Grace Mortez) grows extremely fast and before long she starts hanging out with the children in the village, whom gives her the name "Takenoko" (Little Bamboo)! She develops a close relationship with her friend Sutemaru.

Pom Poko
Director: Isao Takahata
Voice Cast: Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Clancy Brown, J.K. Simmons, Tress MacNeille, Kevin Michael Richardson
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: February 3, 2015
Retail: $35.99
ASIN: B00PYAE2IM
Running Time: 119
Rating: PG
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray for the first time in the United States is the 1994 Japanese anime Pom Poko. The film is directed by Isao Takahata and features the American voice cast of Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Clancy Brown, J.K. Simmons, Tress MacNeille and Kevin Michael Richardson. Bonus Features include the Original Japanese Storyboards and the Original Japanese Trailers.

Pom Poko takes on the Japanese folklore - the tanuki, intelligent raccoon dogs that can transform into any almost anything imaginable. The film begins in 1960, a time when the raccoons are living in an area called the Tama Hills, but their land is being destroyed by the development of houses and shopping malls. The raccoons find it harder and harder to find food and shelter, so they decide to adapt to their changing environment. 

By the time the raccoons enter the 1990s, they have perfected the art of transformation, so they can appear as humans. Their original attempt was to scare off the humans, but they will eventually learn how to balance their lives with the modern world.

The Wind Rises
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Voice Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Martin Short, Stanley Tucci, Mandy Patinkin, William B. Macy
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: November 18, 2014
Retail: $36.99
ASIN: B00MHT49KO
Running Time: 127 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Buy Link: Amazon


Review:



The Winds Rises tells the story of Jiro Horikoshi (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who as a young boy dreamed of being a pilot, but his poor eyesight kept from it. Despite this setback, he still loves all aviation. He is determined to become an aircraft designer and follows the footsteps of his mentor,  Giovanni Battista Caproni (voiced by Stanley Tucci). He goes on to attend Tokyo Imperial University to study engineering, where he befriends future designer, Kiro Honjo (voiced by John Krasinski)

Kiki's Delivery Service
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Voice-Cast: Kristin Dunst, Janeane Garofalo, Phil Hartman, Debbie Reynolds
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: November 18, 2014
Retail: $36.99
ASIN: B00MMPB4ME
Running Time: 105 minutes
Rating: G
Buy Link: Amazon


Review:

Available to own on Blu-ray from Walt Disney Home Entertainment is the 1989 (first released in the United States in 1998) Japanese anime Kiki's Delivery Service. The film is directed by the now retired Hayao Miyazaki and features the voices of Kristin Dunst, Janeane Garofalo, Phil Hartman and Debbie Reynolds. Special Features includes an Introduction by John Lasseter, Ursula's Painting, Original Japanese Storyboards, Original Japanese Trailers Creating Kiki's Delivery Service, Producer's Perspective: Collaborating with Miyazaki, Scoring Miyazaki, Behind the Microphone, The Locations of Kiki's Delivery Service, Kiki & Jiji and Flying with Kiki & Beyond.

Based on the book of the same name by Eiko Kadono, Kiki's Delivery Service centers on a thirteen-year-old girl, Kiki (voiced by Kristin Dunst), who travels on a broomstick with her cat Jiji (voiced by the Phil Hartman) to the port city of Koriko, where she plans train to become a witch!


Kiki takes a job delivering goods on her broomstick for a baker named Osono (voiced by Tress MacNeille). She befriends many of the locals, including an artist, an old woman and a geeky teen. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she discovers that she can no longer fly, which forces her to halt her job at delivering goods. When a friend gets into trouble, Kiki must find away to regain her powers and save the day.

Princess Mononoke
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Voice Cast: Gillian Anderson, Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Minnie Driver, Jada Pinkett Smith and Billy Bob Thornton
Release Date: November 18, 2014
Retail: $36.99
ASIN: B00MMPB3VG
Running Time: 134 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Buy Link: Amazon

Arriving on Blu-ray High Definition for the very first time is critically acclaimed animated classic Princess Mononoke from director Hayao Miyazaki. The newly remastered film features several bonus features, such as the Original Japanese Storyboards, Original Japanese Trailers, Princess Mononoke in the U.S.A. and Original Japanese TV Spots.

Princess Mononoke was originally released to theaters in Japan in 1997 and in the United States in 1999. Of course the United States version got an American voice cast, featuring the voices of Gillian Anderson, Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Minnie Driver, Jada Pinkett Smith and Billy Bob Thornton. The film received great reviews from critics and moviegoers. 

The film centers on Ashitaka, the last Emishi prince, who kills an evil possessed beast before it entered his village, but he is injured in the process. He is now poisoned with the same evil that controlled the beast. He is told that a possible cure for his curse may be somewhere in the western lands.

The Secret World of Arrietty is a 2010 animated Japanese film based on the award winning novel The Borrowers by Mary Norton. It was directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and produced by Studio Ghibli. After a successful run in Japan, and winning the Animation of the Year Award at the 34 Japan Academy Price, it was released in the Untied States by Walt Disney Pictures in early 2012. Disney’s release had an American dub with the voices of Bridgit Mendler, David Henrie, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler and Carol Burnett.

A boy named Shawn is sent to live with his great aunt Jessica’s, the same house his mother had grew up in. Shawn’s parents are busy with work and don’t have the time to take care him. He is going to have  heart in a few weeks and needs to rest. His mother told him about the little people who live in the walls, of course Shawn thinks it was just a story, but he was wrong.