Introduction

Hello, and welcome back to a bumper edition of the UK Anime News Roundup! This month, my first impressions of Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms, hot off the press from today's UK premiere. I also have new data to share regarding the box office performance of anime released theatrically since Your Name, courtesy of the British Film Institute. In addition, we also have another new film announcement, a delayed theatrical release and our usual mixture of news regarding home video releases. There's a lot to cover, so let's get started!

UK Anime Theatrical Box Office

This month, I am very pleased to present the results of my research into the box office performance of anime films released in the United Kingdom, covering from Your Name in November 2016 and continuing up until the release of Lu Over the Wall in December 2017. I am presenting here the opening weekend for each film as reported by the British Film Institute Weekend Box Office reports (unless noted otherwise), as well as the total revenue to date, obtained from the BFI Research and Statistics Unit. My thanks to Mr. Cade at the Research & Statistics Unit for answering my questions about the weekend reports and providing the total gross data. I hope this will be of interest to you all as an indication of how the current run of films is performing!

Looking back over the past year or so, you may think there is cause for concern, with what appears to be a significant decline. I would acknowledge that there has been an overall drop, but it is probably not worth worrying about quite yet. I would note that the current run did begin with some very strong films, including Your Name and ASV, Yu-Gi-Oh and Sword Art Online, two very large franchises. I would say that we should be looking at revenues for Code Geass when available in comparison with the other franchise films, and at upcoming films like Maquia and Mirai in comparison with films like Fireworks, Napping Princess and ITCOTW.

I suspect Genocidal Organ, which was not very heavily promoted at all, and the two Yuasa films may be outliers here, unfortunately clustered. I am currently waiting to find out if the BFI will be willing to provided box office information of Attack on Titan, which I suspect, based on the reports I saw of sold out screenings, probably performed relatively well. Mary and the Witches Flower probably also has pretty good potential if the dub can pull in a lot of more casual viewers. We may be on course for a strong few months coming up.

One limitation of this data is that I do not have an accurate count of how many screenings there have been of each film, which makes it impossible to determine box office per screening, which would be a very useful tool to compare the films. As is, please bear in mind that films with smaller releases will also naturally have a smaller box office. I am currently attempting to obtain data regarding Attack on Titan box office and number of screenings each film had had, if the BFI has such data available to the public.

Home Video & Streaming News

• Winter 2018 Simulcasts

  • If you would like to see where this Winter seasons anime will be airing in the UK, head on over to NormanicGravs' excellent guide on AUKN, or check out because.moe if you have a specific show in mind!
    

• Anime Limited

  • Anime Limited have annouced the details of their Ultimate Edition release of Wolfs Rain. The series itself comes packaged in a rigid artcase containing the series across four Blu-rays and nine artcards. The discs contain the full 26 episode series and the 4 OVA episodes subbed and dubbed. Disc 4 also includes staff and cast interviews. The set also comes with 3 A3 posters (Take this with a grain of salt, AL have a bit of a habit of not quite knowing what size their posters actually are!) THere is also a 100 page art book. RRP is £149.99, Amazon pre-orders are £109.99, or you can buy from the AL webshop for an Early Bird price of £89.99. Trailer here.
  • AL have acquired the first season of Kakegurui: Compulsive Gambler for release in the UK as a Collectors Edition Blu-ray in Q1 2019.
  • The Momotaro, Sacred Sailors Collectors Edition DVD/Blu-ray Combi will be released on March 26th. This release comes with the short film The Spider and the Tulip. There is also a 128 page book included - Sacred Sailors: The Life and Works of Seo Mitsuyo by Jonathan Clements.
  • Lupin the Third Part IV is now listed for release on May 28th. This is now a complete series Collectors Bluray edition, listed as including a 64 page artbook.
  • A standard editon version of the Persona 3 Movies will be released over the next few months. Movie 1 comes with an art box to store all 4 films. There will also be standard editions of Black Butler: Book of Circus (BD), Blood Blockade Battlefront (BD), Expelled From Paradise (BD), Harmony (BD), the Makoto Shinkai Double Pack (DVD, BD), Kiss Him, Not Me! (DVD, BD), Tokyo Ghoul Live Action (DVD, BD) and Sword Art Online 2 (BD - Part 1 comes with an artbox). More info on the AtA webshop here.
  • A Silent Voice Collectors Editions are now out of print, any stock remaining is already with retailers. If you want it, try and find a copy soon!

• Manga UK

  • Manga will be releasing the 2017 Polygon Pictures film BLAME! in the UK, Ireland, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands in association with French distributor Dybex. The UK/Ireland release is expected on May 28th 2017, on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download.
  • Mangas full Q2 release slate has been announced. Take a look at the full list over at Anime UK News

• MVM Entertainment

  • MVMs Q2 release slate is now available to view here.

• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

  • My Hero Academia has been listed on Amazon for a release in the UK on Blu-ray. This marks a change in distributors, as Season 1 was released in the UK by Universal. No other details at the moment.

• Netflix

  • Netflix have added A Silent Voice, B: The Beginning, Black Butler: Book of Circus, ERASED, Fate/Stay Night (2006), SAO: Ordinal Scale, The Garden of Words, Tokyo Ghoul: Jack, Tokyo Ghoul: Pinto, and Tokyo Ghoul: Root A.

• Crunchyroll/Funimation

  • Crunchyroll have added English dubs for Kiznaiver, March comes in like a lion and Occultic;Nine.

• HIDIVE

  • Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden is now streaming weekly, Initial D Legend 1: Awakening will be added on March 5th and Chihayafuru Season 2 will be added on March 19th.
  • Dubs are being added weekly for Flip Flappers, and for all episdodes of Food Wars! The Second Plate on March 13th.

• Viceland

  • VICELAND will be airing the film Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust dubbed on March 6th. Sky Channel 153 or streaming on the NOWTV service.

Theatrical News

• Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion 1: Initiation will be released in UK cinemas on March 21st by Anime Ltd.. THis will be a fairly wider release in comaprison to Attack on Titan last month, including the Showcase, Vue, Odeon and Cineworld chains. You can check locations on the films website here.

• Anime Limited have licenced the new film by Mamoru Hosoda Mirai no Mirai (Localised name TBC, possibly MIRAI or Mirai of the Future). A theatrical release is planned in Q4 of 2018, and you can see the eng subbed trailer here.

• While Mary and the Witches Flower is scheduled for release on May 18th, distributor Altitude Films have announced a set of special fan preview screenings will be held across the country on 10th April, sub only. Check the films website for locations.

• Manga have confirmed they will be releasing the Chinese animated film Big Fish & Begonia theatrically on April 18th 2018. Trailer here and list of locations here. These will mostly be dub screenings.

• The planned theatrical release of Maquia: When the Promised Flowers Bloom has been delayed until 27th June.

• Picturehouse Cinemas are hosting a series of Studio Ghibli screenings evry Sunday from the 4th March - 8th April. List of films and cinemas on the Picturehouse website here.

• The Prince Charles Cinema in London will be hosting sub screenings of Paprika, Ghost in the Shell and Your Name. They are also running a series of Ghibli films. Thanks to/u/AllTsunAndNoDere for the heads up!

• Anime Limited have cancelled the planned theatrical release of Eureka Seven: Hi-Evolution 1 due to the poor reception for the film at its' prior outing at SLA. The company has said they are open to other festival screening, although whether any show up will be a different matter. Early indications are that Hi-Evolution 2 will appear at SLA 2018 in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

• This years Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme takes place 2nd February to 28th March 2018 in the following cities: Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Colchester, Derby, Dundee, Edinburgh, Exeter, Inverness, Kendal, Leicester, Lewes, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield, Stirling. This year **Sword of the Stranger is the featured anime film, alongide a lineup of live-action films. Check out the website to find out what your local venue is and what films it will be screening.

• The following films are upcoming to UK cinemas.

  • Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion 1: Initiation - March 21st 2018 Trailer
  • Big Fish and Begonia - April 18th 2018 Trailer
  • Mary and the Witches Flower - 18th May 2018 (Special Previews 10th April) Trailer
  • Maquia: When the Promised Flowers Bloom - June 27th 2018 Trailer
  • MIRAI (Mirai of the Future) - Q4 2018 Trailer

• I need your help!! I can't keep track of every 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.

Upcoming March Releases

Black Butler: Book Of Circus
Blood Blockade Battlefront
Expelled from Paradise Dragon Ball Z Movie Collection 6: Fusion Reborn & Wrath of the Dragon
Napping Princess
Durarara!!x2 Ketsu
Persona 3: Movie #1 Spring of Birth
Kino’s Journey
Momotaro, Sacred Sailors
Project Itoh: Harmony
Mind Game
Initial D Movie: Legend 1 – Kakusei
Log Horizon: Season 1
Skip Beat
Blue Exorcist Kyoto Saga: Part 1

Maquia: When the Promised Flowers Bloom

Most of this is spoilered out of an abundance of caution, I tried to talk around plot details. The last paragraph is unspoiled and just has my overall thoughts.

Maquia/Sayoasa

Maquia/Sayoasa

Maquia/Sayoasa

Maquia/Sayoasa

Maquia/Sayoasa

Taken as a whole I think the film is great, and the issues I've described are minor in the grand scheme of things. I'd absolutely recommend seeing it on the big screen when it comes out in June!

And that's everything for this month! Thank you all for reading!

As usual, free to leave corrections and comments here or on my twitter.