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Bandai Visual Usa's New Label


areaseven

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From the Anime News Network:

Bandai Visual USA To Launch Honneamise Label

posted on 2005-12-05 23:16:13

At a press conference in Beverly Hills today, Bandai Visual USA announced the details behind their new North American release label, Honneamise.In a partnership with DVD distributor Image Entertainment, Bandai Visual announced today that their new American subsidiary, Bandai Visual USA, is launching a new DVD label called Honneamise, which will be releasing DVDs of Bandai Visual films to the North American release market. The label's new logo was also unveiled.

The label, named for Gainax and Bandai Visual's groundbreaking 1987 animated film The Wings of Honneamise, will focus on providing both standard edition releases and feature-packed limited editions. At the press conference, it was mentioned that Image Entertainment distributed the Criterion Collection laserdiscs; Honneamise will be using the Criterion Collection template as a guide for the quality of their releases.

As of press time, only two titles had been officially announced, although the possibility of more was hinted at several times. The first two titles from Honneamise will be Patlabor: The Movie and Patlabor 2: The Movie. Both films will be released in a standard disc-only release and a special edition that will include, according to the press release, "exclusive packaging illustrations by Yutaka Izubuchi, remastered 5.1 audio channel, a new English-dubbed audio track, a making of documentary, Japanese trailers and TV commercials, the complete 300-page storyboard book drawn by Mamoru Oshii with an English translation, and a second book that includes past interviews, articles, artwork and drawings."

Final release details will be made available early next year. Patlabor: The Movie is scheduled for release on April 25, 2006, with the second film following in the summer.

Image also announced that they'd be working in a number of ways with Bandai Visual USA, including the possible release of Bandai Visual's live action films, and perhaps even co-productions in both live action and animated formats.

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I wasn't aware that 'Wings came out in '87. That was one of the first animes I ever saw but I can still remember the great story. Why wouldn't they release that as their first title? Wierd...

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Good, now Honneamise will actually get a proper quality release. That was one that suffered hard from Manga's laziness.

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This is good news indeed. Could it be possible that there may be a future release of Aim for the Top! from Bandai's Emotion label here in the US? Hopefully there will be another release of Honneamise, as I never bought the Manga version. With the release of the logo anything is possible.

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About time they finally put Patlabor on the spot light. For the longest time, Manga Entertianment was the only US-stateside licensee of the Patlabor movies. Hopefully this will make Bandai somehow remanufacture more Patlabor plastic kits. But then again this is Bandai USA, not the good ol' Bandai in Japan. Err.... >_>

I personally could't care less for Honneamise as I didn't really get into it. For me, it's a one time affair, however Patlabor 2 I could watch probably once every year to give it that special treatment. It's the sort of movie that you can't over do it. Too bad I can't say for Honneamise, I just never really got into it while watching. The OST was nice though...

Edited by Spatula
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Hooray!!! For a Patlabor fan like myself this is fairly good news! I love Honneamise as well and can't wait for that to be released!

350011[/snapback]

This is especially good news for fans like me that wrote to and emailed them years ago BEGGING for them to secure the rights since Magle was going to abandon it. Nice to see it happen. :)

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I personally could't care less for Honneamise as I didn't really get into it.  For me, it's a one time affair, however Patlabor 2 I could watch probably once every year to give it that special treatment.  It's the sort of movie that you can't over do it.  Too bad I can't say for Honneamise, I just never really got into it while watching.  The OST was nice though...

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That's funny considering the majority of anime fans would prefer to watch neither. Both movies are on the introspective side and don't have the usual flashiness that anime fans usually gravitate towards.

I personally like both very much. One has to do with the nature of Japan's peace and terrorism and the other is like the Right Stuff set in an alternate universe with a sprinkling of ponderings on faith.

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That's funny considering the majority of anime fans would prefer to watch neither.  Both movies are on the introspective side and don't have the usual flashiness that anime fans usually gravitate towards.

I personally like both very much.  One has to do with the nature of Japan's peace and terrorism and the other is like the Right Stuff set in an alternate universe with a sprinkling of ponderings on faith.

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But then again that's quite the reason why I watch it. Sure I get the "in your face" action from Bleach and what-not, but I think P2 is a perfect example that one can create a serious-dark like mood via the animation medium.

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I've been meaning to pick up the first two Patlabor movies on DVD, with this news I'll most certainly hold off, and probably grab the special edition. These two movies are among my favourites.

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Man, April 2006 couldn't get here any faster! I've had nothing but crap luck with the officia Mangle stuff. Anyone else had trouble on the P1 movie? Mine showed digital noise/corruption during the opening titles.... Couldn't bring myself to buy the P2 disc after that, and have been getting by with my old VCD edition. Maybe the TV and OVA could revert back from CPM as well?

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This sucks in a way, as I had bought the 2 Patlabor movies a few months ago. Grrrr!!!

You have to wonder though, will some of the other Manga titles that they've mangled switch over to Bandai and be re-released in a better package? I'm thinking of Macross Plus (both editions), Lupin III The Castle of Cagliostro, Perfect Blue and a few others.

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  • 1 month later...

From the Anime News Network:

Manga Entertainment Expired Licenses (2006-01-31 11:29:14)

Manga Entertainment has confirmed that the following licenses have expired: Guyver (OAV), Fist of the North Star (TV), Patlabor 1: The Movie, Patlabor 2: The Movie, New Dominion Tank Police, Red Hawk, Dark Myth, Black Magic M-66, Wings of Honneamise and Gunbuster. The two Patlabor movies have already been announced as being released by Bandai Visual USA's Honneamise label.

Edited by areaseven
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Any chance they're going to lose the Macross Plus and Mac 2 licenses any time soon?  They really need a respectful release and not the half-arsed releases manga gave us.

365184[/snapback]

I would certainly hope so. Given ADV's close relationship with Harmony Gold, I would expect them to pick up any of Manga's Macross products if they expired. But before that, I'm still holding out hope for DYRL...

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From the Anime News Network:
Manga Entertainment Expired Licenses (2006-01-31 11:29:14)

Manga Entertainment has confirmed that the following licenses have expired: Guyver (OAV), Fist of the North Star (TV), Patlabor 1: The Movie, Patlabor 2: The Movie, New Dominion Tank Police, Red Hawk, Dark Myth, Black Magic M-66, Wings of Honneamise and Gunbuster. The two Patlabor movies have already been announced as being released by Bandai Visual USA's Honneamise label.

365181[/snapback]

So who wants to bet that Wings of Honneamise will be the third release on the Honneamise label?

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I would certainly hope so.  Given ADV's close relationship with Harmony Gold, I would expect them to pick up any of Manga's Macross products if they expired.  But before that, I'm still holding out hope for DYRL...

365197[/snapback]

Why would being close to HG matter for Plus? HG had nothing to do with that show. Honestly, since it was Bandai who chose not to renew the licenses, I expect most, if not all, of these will go to the BVUSA/Honneamise line.

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