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Hanabee Announce Majestic Prince and Gatchaman Crowds

The acquisitions were made public via Hanabee's Facebook page after being hinted at in Friday's Hanabee Update. Both titles will be released on the 6th of August 2014 on Blu-ray and DVD with Japanese audio with English subtitles and English dub..

Majestic Prince

The show's story takes place in the Earth calendar year of 2110, where humanity has expanded its frontier into space in a quest for resources. Advances in genetic engineering research allow humans to adapt to the new frontier, leading to the advent of evolved children such as the protagonist Izuru (played by Hiroki Aiba). Izuru enrolls in the academy city Gurantseere, where students learn to pilot robotic mecha to protect humanity from the invasion of a mysterious lifeform known as "Urugaru." As part of the MJP Project, Izuru is assigned the impossible task of leading Team Rabbits — the team nicknamed the "Zannen 5" (Disappointing Five): Toshikazu Asagi (Shintarō Asanuma), Tamaki Irie (Yuka Iguchi), Kei Kugimiya (Yōko Hikasa), and Ataru Suruga (Junya Ikeda).

Keitaro Motonaga (Katanagatari, Jormungand) is directing the series at the studios Dogakobo and Orange. Hisashi Hirai (Mobile Suit Gundam Seed franchise) is designing the characters, and Reiko Yoshida (K-ON! franchise) is in charge of the series scripts. Chiaki Ishikawa performed the ending theme song "Sayonara tte Iu."

Since the series April 4th premiere Majestic Prince was licensed by Sentai Filmworks and has been simulcast on Crunchyroll around the world, including Australia and New Zealand.

Hanabee's release will be broken into 2 parts with Majestic Prince Part 1 DVD and Blu-ray to be released on the 6th of August 2014 and it will have both English dub and Japanese audio with English subtitles. You can view Hanabee's announcement press release here.

Gatchaman Crowds

It's the early summer of 2015 in Tokyo's "second metropolis" of Tachikawa City and like all large cities, Tachikawa has a problem, abductions from a hostile alien race known as MESS. However the city has a group of protectors, known only as Gatchaman these brave people suit up with special powers known as NOTES to help save the day. When eccentric high-schooler Hajime Ichinose suddenly joins the team MESS is only half the problem as Gatchaman is sucked into a mystery involving the super popular social app GALAX.

The cast includes Maaya Uchida, Katsuji Mori, Ryota Ohsaka, Daisuke Namikawa, Aya Hirano, Daisuke Hosomi, Kotori Koiwai, Mamoru Miyano, Ayumu Murase, and Sakura Tange.

Kenji Nakamura (Mononoke, tsuritama) directed Gatchaman Crowds off scripts from Toshiya Ono (Suite Precure, tsuritama) at Tatsunoko Productions. Illustrator Kinoko did the original character designs for the characters while Koji Nakakita (Wandaba Style, Jūsō Kikō Dancouga Nova) did the mecha designs. Four-member rock band WHITE ASH performed the opening theme song "Crowds."

The first Gatchaman anime premiered in October of 1972 and earned an average rating of 21%. It was only planned for two quarters (kūru or cours) of a year, but was extended to two full years and 105 episodes. It has since spawned anime films as well as later television and video series. The anime series in the Gatchaman franchise were adapted, with varying degrees of faithfulness, into English under the names Battle of the Planets, G-Force, and Eagle Riders.

Gatchaman Crowds premiered in Japan on July 12th 2013 and Crunchyroll streamed the series as it aired, including in Australia and New Zealand. Sentai Filmworks licensed the series for North America in September 2013 and will release Gatchaman Crowds in July 2014.

Hanabee's release appear on the 6th of August 2014 and will be a complete collection on DVD and Blu-ray with the English dub and Japanese audio with English subtitles. If you would like to read more about the series and check out the character designs please click here and you can read Hanabee's press release here.

Majestic Prince Image © Sotsu, Fields, MJP Production Committee