Welcome back to the UK Anime News Roundup! We're back on schedule(ish) this month, apologies again for the delay in getting last months post up. My computer has eaten about 5 previous attempts to write this post in crashes, and there's a lot to cover, so I'm going to try to be more focused in my writing this time.

This month we have new cinema screenings to cover, including Edinburgh and London in June, as well as Wales further into the future.

London ComicCon also took place this month, so we have a ton of new licences. If you're interested in reports from Q&A panels at ComicCon, you should take a look back through the @ukanime timeline, they had someone on site and livetweeting from the Anime Limited and Manga panels, as wells as from panels with the Japanese guests. Let's not delay any longer and get right into it!

News

• Anime Limited have acquired the following shows for UK release.

  • Person 3 Movies 1-4 - DVD and Blu-ray, with movie 1 coming out in Q4 2016. Subtitled only.
  • High School Fleet (Haifuri) - DVD and Blu-ray in 2017.
  • Black Butler S3 - DVD and Blu-ray in Q4 2016.
  • Dimension W - ASAP after US release. DVD and Blu-ray.
  • Kiznaiver - DVD and Blu-ray in 2017.
  • Re:ZERO - DVD and Blu-ray in 2017.
  • Sound! Euphonium - DVD and Blu-ray. Subtitle only.
  • Bungo Stray Dogs - DVD and Blu-ray in 2017.
  • Death Parade - DVD/Blu-ray Combi Ultimate Edition. Also Standard Edition DVD. Includes the Death Billiards short episode. Aiming for Q4 2016 release.
  • Twin Star Exorcists
  • Momotaro's Divine Sea Warriors - Late Q4 2016 or Early Q1 2017. DVD and Blu-ray. Blu-rays will include a 200 page book by Jonathan Clements (co-author of The Anime Encyclopedia). This film will screen at Scotland Loves Anime 2016.
  • Lupin III (2015) - Blu-ray only. Released across 2 parts. Part 1 in Q4 2016.
  • Belladonna of Sadness - DVD and Blu-ray in Q4 2016. Screening at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in June.
  • The Tatami Galaxy - Blu-ray only. Q4 2016. Subtitle only.

• The following titles will be released by Funimation in the UK in partnership with Anime Limited.

  • Yona of the Dawn - Part 1 - 4th July 2016
  • Gonna Be the Twin-Tail!! Complete Series Collection - 11th July 2016
  • Fairy Tail - Part 10 - 25th July 2016
  • No-Rin - Complete Series Collection - 25th July 2016
  • Yurikuma Arashi - Complete Series Collection - 25th July 2016
  • Mikagura School Suite - Complete Series Collection - 1st August 2016
  • Show by Rock! - Complete Series 1 Collection - 8th August
  • Absolute Duo - Complete Series Collection - 15th August 2016
  • Barakamon - Complete Series Collection - 15th August 2016
  • Fairy Tail - Part 11 - 29th August 2016
  • Daimidaler: Prince vs Penguin Empire - Complete Series Collection - 5th September 2016
  • Rainy Cocoa - Season 1 and 2 Collection - 5th September 2016
  • High School DxD BorN - Complete Series Collection - 12th September 2016
  • Yona of the Dawn - Part 2 - 12th September 2016
  • Blazblue: Alter Memory - Complete Series Collection - 19th September 2016
  • Fairy Tail - Part 12 - 26th September 2016

• Other AL news. The Fullmetal Alchemist Ultimate Edition will be released in October this year. This is a limited run of 1000 worldwide, and will come with a custom box design modelled on the Gate from the show. The UE will also include a 260 page art book, pre-orders receive a customised Alchemist certificate. RRP is £299.99. For pre-orders before July 5th, you pay £124.99, before October 1st you pay £149.99. Collectors Editions and Standard Edition to follow later on.

  The Escaflowne Ultimate Edition has been confirmed as including both the Original and Directors Cut versions of the English dub.

  Anime Limited is currently in negotiations to add more of their titles to Crunchyroll. More on this to come.

  Season 1 of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is on hold currently while AL wait to find out what Funimation is planning on doing with their Blu-ray release in the US, as this will impact whether or not AL will need to author new Blu-rays for themselves or can purchase masters from Funimation instead.

  Anime Limited will re-release Perfect Blue as a Steelbook Blu-ray, which will also contain the Art Card set included with the previous AL Perfect Blue release. This release is exclusive to Zavvi, and appears to the first in a series of Limited Edition Steelbooks from Anime Limited. Pre-orders/details here.

• MVM have acquired the following shows for UK release.

  • Log Horizon Season 2 - Collection 1 - DVD and Blu-ray. Out September 5th.
  • Tenchi Muyo OVA Collection - Relicenced, and now receiving a Blu-ray release.
  • Chobits - Releasing on Blu-ray later in 2016.
  • Serial Experiments Lain - Remastered Blu-ray later this year.
  • Owarimonogatari - On DVD and Blu-ray.
  • Photo Kano, Re-Kan and Sakura Trick - Releasing 2016, formats TBD.
  • Skip Beat - Confirmed for DVD, to include English dub. Blu-ray TBD.
  • GATE
  • Monster Musume: Everyday Life With Monster Girls
  • 11 Eyes
  • Busou Shinki: Armored War Goddess
  • Girls Beyond the Wasteland
  • Norn 9
  • Nurse Witch Komugi R
  • Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle
  • Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East - Released on July 4th, on DVD and Blu-ray. Includes English and Japanese audio.

• Manga have acquired the following shows for UK release.

  • Soul Eater NOT
  • Trinity Seven
  • HaNaYaMaTa
  • Love, Chunibyou & Other Delusions: Heart Throb!
  • Punchline!
  • Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto
  • Digimon - Season 1 and 2 have both been confirmed, probably the TV edit of the shows.
  • Rock Lee and His Ninja Pals - Released as two DVD box sets of 26 episodes each, one this Autumn, then part 2 in early 2017.
  • Death Note - Blu-ray edition.

  As a side note, it is worth taking a look at the article linked for the Manga annoucements, as it has a report from a Q&A session with Manga where Jerome Mazandarani, the company head, talked a bit about the state of the UK industry. If behind the scenes industry stuff is your kind of thing, also follow Jerome on Twitter @AskJeromeMaz, where he is very vocal and forthright on business topics. (Prepare for swearing when he gets worked up!)

• Universal Pictures will be releasing Beserk and Drifters in the UK as collectors editions. These are two series which are yet to air in Japan. They will both be broadcast in Japan later this year.

  Some copies of Seraph of the End Season 1 - Part 1 have accidentally shipped with incorrect packaging. Affected copies contain the proper English contents inside a German language outer case. If your outer case reads "Seraph of the End Vol. 1 Vampire Reign" then your unit is affected and you can write to Universal Pictures and they will replace your outer case with an English version for free. To do so, email [email protected] with the subject header "Seraph", and include a scan, photo or screenshot of your proof of purchase as well as a photo of the outer case with the spine visible.

  Universal Pictures will be releasing The Heroic Legend of Arslan Season 1 - Part 1 as a Collectors Edition DVD and Collectors Edition Blu-ray on July 25th. The Collectors Edition includes a 80 page art book, a set of 12 art cards, 4 character trading cards, a map of the setting and a replica of a board game played in the series.

• STUDIOCANAL will release When Marnie Was There on October 3rd. This will be available as a standard edition DVD, standard Blu-ray, or a Collectors Edition DVD/Blu-ray combi pack.

• Viewster are now streaming the series Meine Liebe and Onigiri in the UK.

• Durarara Season 1 is now available on Netflix for UK subscribers.

Upcoming Cinema Screenings

• Kotatsu Festival in Wales have announced their dates for this years event. The festival will be hosting screenings in Cardiff on 24th and 25th September, and Aberystwyth on October 15th. The festival will be screening Miss Hokusai, The Case of Hana and Alice, Anthem of the Heart, Empire of Corpses, Psycho-Pass: The Movie and Genius Party.

• The 1973 anime film Belladonna of Sadness will be screening at the Edinburgh Filmhouse at 23:30 on the 24th of June as part of the Edinburgh International Film Festival. This is a restoration of the film being presented in association with Scotland Loves Anime.

• A reminder that Studio Ghibli Forever continues for another month or so with participating conemas across the UK. You can use the website linked to find the cinema closest to you that will be holding screenings, as well as dates and times.

• A reminder also that the BFI Southbank in London will be running an Anime Weekend over the 3rd to 5th of June. On Friday, Harmony will screen at 18:00, followed by Empire of Corpses at 20:50. On Saturday, The Boy and the Beast will screen at 15:30, followed by the original Ghost in the Shell at 18:15 and Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie at 20:45. On Sunday, Garm Wars: The Last Druid will screen at 17:20, followed by Psycho-Pass: The Movie at 20:00. There is still time to get tickets for all of these movies if you'll be in London that weekend.

• I need your help!! I can't keep track of every arts cinema that may screen anime by myself. If you know of any other screenings that will be taking place, or if you have a local cinema you can check upcoming listings for, please let me know via PM or the comments. There may well be screenings organised by local independent cinemas that I miss by myself.

Physical Releases in May

If you want to see what's inside a collectors edition before you buy it, you can check the uk-anime.net Youtube, for unboxing videos of most major collectors edition releases, usually around the release date. If they don't have a video for the set you're looking for you may find it useful to check the news section of uk-anime.net or check the distributors website and look through their posts. The relevant sites are blog.alltheanime.com, the Manga UK blog and the MVM facebook page.

Upcoming June Releases

• Blue Exorcist Complete Series Collection
• Rage of Bahamut - Season 1 Collection
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Season 5
• Kamisama Kiss - Complete Series 2 Collection
• Kill la Kill - Part 3 (Standard Edition)
• Michiko & Hatchin Complete Series Collection
• Tokyo Ghoul Root A
• Love Live! School Idol Project - Season 2 Collection
• Aldnoah.Zero - Complete Season 1 Collection
• Attack on Titan - Complete Season 1 Collection
• Brothers Conflict - Complete Series Collection
• Haibane Renmei Complete Series Collection
• Parasyte -the maxim- Collection 1
• Sword Art Online II - Part 4

Season Simulcasts

The following tables include every TV Show and Short listed for Spring 2016 on Anichart. Entries are alphabetical, with preference given to the English market title approved by the distributors and streaming services, or otherwise to the Japanese romaji title provided by Anichart.

Next season, I'll be giving preference to the Japanese titles, it's a pain to have to rearrange the chart to account for English names when they're announced. I'll change the table to include both titles though, hopefully that will make next seasons a bit better.

Now that the line ups are all announced, Crunchyroll remains the top platform by a mile. Crunchyroll carries 27 full length series and 7 shorts this season. Funimation carries 8, Daisuki 4, Animax 1, Amazon 1, Netflix 1 and The Anime Network 1 short. Most shows excluding kids targeted stuff are now accounted for with only a few exceptions.

I think that about wraps us up for this month! As per usual, feel free to correct any mistakes that I've made in the comments or via PM, and please do let me know about any screenings I haven't covered so they can be included. Start saving your money now for Sound! Euphonium!!! I hope you've all found this interesting and informative.