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Discotek Licenses Cyborg 009 The Cyborg Soldier, Tomorrow's Joe, Project ARMS, NieA_7, Lupin III: The Legend of the Gold of Babylon

posted on by Jennifer Sherman
Company to produce Bananya, Hells English dubs

Discotek Media announced at its panel on Sunday that it has licensed Cyborg 009, Project ARMS, NieA_7, Tomorrow's Joe (Ashita no Joe), Bananya, and Lupin III: The Legend of the Gold of Babylon.

The company will release the 2001 Cyborg 009 The Cyborg Soldier television series on DVD and Blu-ray Disc.

Shotaro Ishinomori's classic Cyborg 009 manga inspired television anime series in 1968, 1979, and 2001 and films in 1966, 1967, and 1980. More recently, the manga inspired the 009 Re:Cyborg movie in 2012 and the Cyborg 009 Call of Justice movie in 2016. It also inspired a crossover original video anime (OVA) with Devilman in 2015.

The story follows a global organization known as Black Ghost, which seeks to lock the world into eternal war. Black Ghost captures nine men and women and turns them into cyborg soldiers, but the cyborgs rebel and fight against Black Ghost.

Project ARMS will ship on DVD with Japanese audio and English subtitles and an English dub. The release will include both seasons and all 52 episodes.

The Project ARMS anime adapts author Kyoichi Nanatsuki and artist Ryoji Minagawa's manga of the same name. The story follows Ryo Takatsuki, a normal high school student who discovers that his arm has been replaced with a powerful weapon driven by nano-machines. Now, a mysterious organization hunts him to attain his power.

Viz Media previously released the 26-episode television series and its sequel, Project ARMS: The 2nd Chapter, on DVD. Viz also released the original manga in English.

The DVD and Blu-ray Disc release of the Tomorrow's Joe film will have both Japanese audio with English subtitles and an English dub. The English dub will be from the Tai Seng DVD. The release will be an HD transfer, the same as the Japanese Blu-ray Disc release.

The Tomorrow's Joe (Ashita no Joe) film from 1980 is a retelling of the 1970-1971 television anime based on Tetsuya Chiba's classic boxing manga. The story follows wandering delinquent Joe Yabuki. When an alcoholic boxing trainer spots him getting into a fight to defend children, he offers Joe the chance to become a boxer.

Home video distributor Tai Seng previously released the film on DVD in 2008.

Discotek will release Bananya on DVD and on Blu-ray Disc for the first time. The company is producing an English dub for the anime. The release will also include Japanese audio with English subtitles.

The short television anime adapts Q-Lia's Bananya banana cat mascot character. The anime premiered in July 2016 and Crunchyroll streamed the series as it aired. Kyō Yatate (Sockie's Frontier Quest) directed the anime at TMS Entertainment and Gathering. Yatate scripted and produced the anime alongside Masahiro Takata (Super Seisyun Brothers director, scriptwriter).

Lupin III: The Legend of the Gold of Babylon will be available on DVD and for the first time in HD on Blu-ray Disc.

The 1985 film was the only anime film directed by filmmaker and actor Seijun Suzuki, who passed away in February. In the film, Lupin deals with two mafia families and Zenigata as he tries to find Babylon's lost gold by uncovering the mystery of tablets found in New York City. During his quest, Lupin meets an old woman who has a connection to the treasure.

AnimEigo previously released the film on VHS and laserdisc, but changed the title character's name to "Rupan" to avoid legal issues with the estate of Maurice Leblanc, author of the Arsène Lupin novels. Discotek announced in 2005 that it had licensed the film, but the prospective DVD release was put on indefinite hold.

NieA_7 will be available on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. The release will include the same bonus videos as Geneon's previous release.

The television anime adaptation of Yoshitoshi ABe's science-fiction comedy manga of the same name premiered in 2000. Geneon released the series on DVD. Tokyopop released the two-volume manga series.

Discotek also announced the details of its upcoming releases of Hells and Urusei Yatsura: Beautiful Dreamer.

The DVD and Blu-ray Disc release of Hells will feature the original Japanese audio with an all-new subtitle translation. Discotek is collaborating with Team Four Star and Sound Cadence Studios on an English dub for the anime.

Yoshiki Yamakawa and Madhouse's 2008 Hells anime film adapts Sin'Ichi Hiromoto's Hells Angels manga. The "dark fantasy that is full of cynical gags" follows a girl's journey to hell and back.

The anime was first screened theatrically under the original manga's name in 2008. TC Entertainment released the film on Blu-ray Disc in Japan with English subtitles and under the title Hells in August 2012.

The release of Urusei Yatsura: Beautiful Dreamer will have a 16:9 aspect ration preferred by director Mamoru Oshii. The release will have both Japanese audio with improved English subtitles and an English dub from the original master. The release will include director commentary and theatrical trailers.

The 1984 Urusei Yatsura: Beautiful Dreamer film is the second film based on Rumiko Takahashi's Urusei Yatsura manga. Mamoru Oshii wrote and directed the film.

Central Park Media released the film on VHS in 1993 and later on DVD in 2004. Discotek announced its license last August.

In addition, Discotek announced details of its new releases of Robot Carnival and Lupin III.

The company will release the 30th Anniversary Edition of Robot Carnival on Blu-ray Disc with both Japanese audio and English subtitles and an English dub. Bonus features will include a production art gallery, behind-the-scenes notes, "storyboard to screen" videos, and a short documentary about the film.

The 2000 Robot Carnival OVA is an acclaimed collection of robot-themed short segments created by nine of Japan's top animators. Discotek previously released the OVA on DVD in 2015.

Discotek will release its second collection of Lupin III: Part II with remastered video, the same as the first collection. The release will include episodes 41 to 79 and include Japanese audio with improved English subtitles and an English dub. The release will have commentaries and an interview with Richard Epcar, the English dub director and voice of Daisuke Jigen.

Lupin III: Part II ran for 155 episodes from 1977 to 1980, and several episodes aired on Adult Swimin the United States in 2003. Geneon previously released part of the season on DVD in North America. Discotek released the first collection in January. Crunchyroll is streaming the series.

Discotek will first release an English-dubbed version of Lupin III: Part IV, followed by a release with Japanese audio and English subtitles. The two versions will have some different video content with scenes of different lengths and alternate animation. The English dub is based on the original Italian cut of the series. The release will include all episodes, including the two bonus episodes. The release will feature interviews with English dub directors Richard Epcar and Ellyn Stern.

Lupin III: Part IV, the first Lupin III television anime series in three decades to star the titular character, premiered in Japan in October 2015, after first premiering as Lupin III - L'avventura Italiana on Italian television in August 2015. Crunchyroll streamed the series beginning in January. Toonami began airing the English dub in June.


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