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Right Stuf, Nozomi Ent. Add Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei, A.D. Police, El-Hazard Anime

Anime News Network's coverage of Anime Expo 2019 is sponsored by Yen Press.

Right Stuf and Nozomi Entertainment announced at their Anime Expo panel on Saturday that it has licensed the Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei, AD Police, El Hazard - The Magnificent World, El Hazard 2 - The Magnificent World, and El Hazard: The Alternative World anime. The companies will release Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei on Blu-ray Disc in 2020, and the release will be the anime's first in North America. The other titles will also ship "soon" on Blu-ray Disc with both an English dub and subtitles.

The first television anime adaptation of Kōji Kumeta's Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei manga premiered in 2007. Nozomi Entertainment stated that it remains undetermined if the company will release all seasons of the anime. The company describes the story:

Nozomu Itoshiki is a high school teacher so pessimistic that even the smallest of misfortunes can send him into a pit of raging despair; some of these “catastrophes” even lead to suicide attempts. Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei is a satirical slice-of-life comedy set in the modern day, covering various aspects of Japanese life and culture through Nozomu and his interactions with his students: Kiri Komori, a recluse who refuses to leave the school; Abiru Kobushi, an enigma who frequently arrives to class with severe and mysterious injuries; the hyper-optimistic Kafuuka Fuura, Nozomu's polar opposite; and several other unusual girls, all of whom are just as eccentric as their teacher.

Akiyuki Simbo (Hidamari Sketch, Negima!) directed the series at Shaft. Kenichi Kanemaki (Hell Girl, Tactics) was in charge of series composition, and Hideyuki Morioka (D.Gray-man, Sakura Wars) designed the characters.

The original manga inspired three television anime series and two original video anime (OVAs). Media Blasters previously licensed the first series in North America but never released it.

AD Police debuted as a spinoff of the Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040 anime in 1999. Nozomi Entertainment describes the show:

Set a few years before Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040, AD Police chronicles the tales of Mega-Tokyo's special police division designed to control rogue Boomers in the city. AD Police Officer Kenji Sasaki faces a major dilemma: he loses another partner to a rabid boomer. A day after he's sent off-duty, he receives a new partner in the form of German cop Hans Kleif. Funny thing is that Kenji sucker-punched Hans at a bar the night before. Not only does Kenji face the everyday task of controlling Boomers, he has to learn to adjust with his new partner.

Hidehito Ueda (Cybuster, Transformers: Armada) directed the series at AIC. Hiroshi Ohnogi, Taiko Hoshikawa, and Toshizo Nemoto wrote the script, while Naoyuki Konno (Cyborg 009 The Cyborg Soldier, 009-1) designed the characters.

The anime inspired the Parasite Dolls spinoff OVA in 2003. ADV Films previously released the AD Police television anime on home video in North America.

The El Hazard - The Magnificent World OAV debuted in 1995. Nozomi Entertainment describes the story:

When Makoto Mizuhara discovers an old monument in his school and awakens a beautiful woman he, his teacher, his worst enemy and one of his female friends is transported to the magnificent world of El Hazard. There they discovers that they have received special powers. Makoto and his teacher Fujisawa land in a jungle and save a princess from very large bugs. Makoto's friend Nanami lands in a desert. And Makoto's rival, Jinnai, lands in the middle of the bug's kingdom and becomes their general, plotting to destroy Makoto and his new friends. After having his attacks repelled by Makoto several times, Jinnai learns about an ultimate weapon, the demon Ifurita. Everyone sets out to find it, and when they do Makoto learns that she is the same woman that sent them to El Hazard. But the one gaining control of her is Jinnai.

The El Hazard 2 - The Magnificent World sequel OVA debuted in 1997. Nozomi Entertainment describes the anime:

Continuing the from OVAs; When Fujisawa, suffering from cold feet, leaves Miz at the altar, an enraged Priestess drafts Makoto and friends to go find him. In the couse of locating the hapless (and gutless) teacher, they find another Ifurita. Meanwhile Jinnai and Diva searching for a new Bugrom homeland stumble upon another yet another Demon God, the impish Kalia. However, unlike Ifurita she has a mind, and a mission, of her own...

The El Hazard: The Alternative World television anime premiered in 1998. Nozomi Entertainment describes the story:

Miz plans to retire as a Great Priestess of Water to married life with her darling Fujisawa and as replacement the young Qawoor Towles arrives to Floristica. Jinnai sees Qawoor's initiation ceremony as a chance to infiltrate Makoto's laboratory but accidentally activates a mysterious thingy that sends them all through the dimensions to a grey industrial city protected by a huge castle in an alternative world.

Hiroki Hayashi (Nekopara, Shuffle!) served as series director for the first OVA, and Yoshiaki Iwasaki (Love Hina, Hayate the Combat Butler) directed the second. Yasuhito Kikuchi (Macross Frontier, Infinite Stratos) directed El Hazard: The Alternative World. AIC produced all three anime.

Geneon previously released all three anime on home video in North America.

In addition, Nozomi Entertainment and Right Stuf announced new Blu-ray Disc releases for Boogiepop Phantom, El-Hazard: The Wanderers, Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket, and Mobile Suit Gundam Seed. Nozomi Entertainment release the Boogiepop Phantom TV Series Blu-ray Collection with an English dub and subtitles during this year's holiday season. El-Hazard: The Wanderers will ship with an English dub and subtitles soon. Right Stuf will release Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket Blu-ray as an exclusive on October 1. Right Stuf will also release Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Ultra Edition Blu-ray Collection as an exclusive with both dubs in 2020.

Sources: Email correspondence; Right Stuf, Nozomi Entertainment panel at Anime Expo (Michael Erazo)