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Maquia Blu-ray Released Monday

On Monday June 17, Anime Limited will release the feature film Maquia on Collectors Blu-ray/DVD, as well as standard Blu-ray and DVD editions. The Collectors set will include a poster and an 84-page booklet.

Anime Limited has described the film's story:

The people of Iolph have a lifespan of hundreds of years and maintain their teenage appearances for life, but when the peace of this town is shattered by those who want the secret to their longevity for themselves, a young girl named Maquia is forced to escape. Wandering the land alone, upon finding an orphaned baby she chooses to raise him, but as this boy grows up so the difference in their lifespans is thrown into ever-sharper relief.

The film is the directorial debut of anime screenwriter Okada (The Anthem of the Heart, anohana). She wrote the film's scripts at P.A. Works.

Akihiko Yoshida (Nier: Automata, Bravely Default, Final Fantasy XIV games) is credited with the original character designs. Toshiya Shinohara (A Lull in the Sea, Red Data Girl) was chief director. Yuriko Ishii(Kuromukuro, Another) designed the characters for animation and was chief animation director. Kazuki Higashiji(Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG, A Lull in the Sea) was art director, and Tomoaki Okada(Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos, Blast of Tempest) was in charge of art design and concept design. Kenji Kawai (Ghost in the Shell, Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru) composed the music, and Kazuhiro Wakabayashi (Ghost in the Shell, Bungo Stray Dogs) was sound director.

MVM will release the first volume of Hanasaku Iroha - Blossoms for Tomorrow on Blu-ray, carrying the first 12 episodes of the series. The story centers around Ohana Matsumae, a 16-year-old Tokyo native who ends up working with her grandmother at an onsen ryokan (hot spring inn).

The series was made by anime studio P.A. Works' as its tenth anniversary project, directed by Masahiro Ando (Sword of the Stranger, Snow White with the Red Hair), with Mari Okada (who would later direct Maquia, above) as the lead writer.

Anime Limited will release the series Kokkoku as a Collectors Blu-ray, including art cards and a poster. Anime Limited describes the series as follows:

"It's 6:59 forever…The members of the Yukawa family have inherited the Stasis Spell, the power to stop time. When they use their power, they enter Stasis, a world where everything has stopped. One day, Juri's nephew and brother get kidnapped. Trying to rescue them, their grandfather uses the Stasis Spell, but they are suddenly attacked by others who are also able to move in Stasis. It's not a race against time, it's a race outside of time and the dangers are increasing with every non-second."

The series is based on Seita Horio's Kokkoku: Moment by Moment manga. Yoshimitsu Ohashi (Witchblade, Sacred Seven, Galaxy Angel) directed the series at Geno Studio, and Twin Engine was credited with production. Noboru Kimura (Nyaruko: Crawling with Love!, Amagami SS+, Problem children are coming from another world, aren't they?) handled the series composition. Yasuomi Umetsu (Mezzo, Lily C.A.T., Kite) provided the original character designs, and Masaki Hinata (Sankarea: Undying Love, Qualidea Code, Katekyo Hitman Reborn!) adapted those designs for animation and also served as chief animation director. MICHIRU composed the music.

Anime Limited will also release a Blu-ray edition of Lupin III: Part IV. Whereas the earlier edition of the series was subtitled-only, this new edition is dub-only - because of differences between the two versions, it was not possible to include both the dubbed and subtitled versions in a single edition.

Purchasers of the previous subtitled edition from AllTheAnime.com or from an AllTheAnime event stand are entitled to order the dubbed edition at a discount - see here for more details.