In addition, Ponyo will be reissued with a new packaging, in keeping with Ghibli's BD library. This is, in fact, the same package design as the German BD release, so it's really no surprise at all. This new release will finally include the US Disney soundtrack, something that was missing from the original Japanese release.
Below the fold are the official specs and features of Ghibli's upcoming Blu-Ray films. Thanks to Anime Maki and muhootsaver for providing these specs:
Howl's Moving Castle
Audio: Japanese, English, French, German, Italian, Korean, Cantonese, Mandarin
Subtitles: Japanese, English, French, German, Italian, Korean, Chinese
Special/Bonus features:
PinP Production sketch
After recording script - Howl goes international (9min)
English dubbed – Pete Doctor interview (7min)
US premiere record (11min)
Lasseter-san, Konnichiwa (16min)
This is how Howl’s castle moved (20min)
Howl’s castle music guide (28min)
Trailers (12min)
Tales From Earthsea (Gedo Senki)
Audio: Japanese, English, French, German, Italian, Korean, Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish
Subtitles: Japanese, English, French, German, Italian, Korean, Chinese
Special/bonus features:
PinP Production layout
After recording script
Ged Senki guide vol 1 and 2 (making of Teru’s song 30min; making of movie music 60min)
Special program “How Okada Junichi met Ged Senki” (44min)
Trailers
Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea
Audio: Japanese, English, French, Italian
Subs: Japanese, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Chinese
Special features/Bonus materials:
Full North American version of the film
Production sketch
theme song premiere
non-credit ending (long version)
after recording
first day premiere
Interview with Hayao Miyazaki
Talk event (Suzuki and Tsuchiya)
Nihon TV news ZERO spin off
Hayao Miyazaki quotes
Venezia International Film Festival clip, etc.
Trailer
16 comments:
Dammit! I knew this was coming sooner or later. Earthsea is really not very good at all, but to not own it and have an incomplete collection...
(Yes, I am aware of the stupidity of this dilemma.)
This just gets better and better! If only I had the cash to import them all. Guess I'll have to settle for the American versions, but I will import Only Yesterday.
The first Ponyo BD did have the US soundtrack, but it was among the bonus features and had forced Japanese subtitles.
3 New in November... there goes another 150+ Euros.
Oh well, they look very awesome though, just hope the english title won't be on it.
@watkinzez
If you don't like Earthsea, don't buy it. It just seems a bit...obsessive for it's own sake. Although I am a huge Ghibli fan, I don't own Ocean Waves, The Cat Returns, or Tales from Earthsea because I didn't really like any of those movies. (everything else they've done I love)
On the other hand, I heard Ghibli has had some financial trouble lately, so you may be able to justify the purchase on the grounds that you're supporting the studio. :P
Are these all going to be All Region? I've preordered Howl's Moving Castle off Amazon Japan. Is that going to play on my UK PS3?
@Sinthetic: Yes, all of Studio Ghibli's Blu-Ray movies from Japan are region-free. You can import and play to your heart's content. That said, you might want to wait for the inevitable UK release. Optimum UK has done a good job in keeping up with Japan. I'm not sure if we'd see Howl and Earthsea available in time for Christmas, but it shouldn't be too long.
As for North America...well, Disney is really falling behind the curve, aren't they? We're half a dozen movies behind schedule. Ack!
@Daniel. Really appreciate the quick reply. In the past I have waited for the UK Optimum discs, but I have always said I'd double dip for a select few Ghibli titles, Howl's being 1 of them!
I definitely feel for you guys in North America being so behind.
Let's just hope I can dodge those customs charges from Japan! ;D
I think the animation on Tales From Earthsea was stunning so I think the bluray disk will be even better. So I must definitely get the blurry version. I thought the film was better than most people make it out to be....well the first two-thirds of it was good....i just think that the bad guy and final battle let it down.
To be honest i also think the first two-thirds of Howl's Moving Castle was good but the end wasn't. So that is not one of my favourite Ghibli films either. But, again, it will look so amazing in bluray!
Love love love Ponyo though!
I love these Japanese boxes too...my only concern is that Howl and Earth sea have their English titles on the box too....whereas Ponyo doesn't. I wonder why that is....i just don't like inconsistencies....
I really wish these would be released in the US. Howl is one of my all time favorites. Though based on Disney's generic response to my inquiry about Ghibli films, I don't have my hopes set very high. IMO, when it comes to Ghibli, torrents are not an option. If I were to give in and start importing, where's a good place to shop?
Probably because Howl and Earthsea were both adapted from English-language sources, whilst Ponyo originated in the Japanese language. That's my guess anyway.
As for Disney getting behind in NA, hopefully they are still on track to at least release Arrietty in theaters here next February.
Blu-ray's in NA? They just let go of Princess Mononoke so we'll see who eventually picks that one up for BD release. Disney hasn't said anything about the other titles.
Paul
www.Amazon.co.jp works well for me when buying imports. Anyone can set up an account there even if one can't read Japanese (I used the instructions for doing so that can be found on the Halcyon Dreams site). The prices I've found for BDs and CDs and art books on Amazon.co.jp are a lot better than the high markups you'll find on the import sites.
Paul
@Vince you can always try www.cdjapan.co.jp 100% secure. I have bought from there all the five studio Ghibli's Collection blu-ray discs without any inconvenience. (and you can pay with paypal too)
If I remember correctly from the UK cinema releases (which use the original credit sequences untampered with, in contrast to the home releases which have them butchered by Madman or Disney) Howl and Ged have their their Roman-character logos on their title cards alongside the Japanese ones, while Sen and Ponyo do not (and The Cat Returns I missed the beginning of so can't comment on), making them consistent with those if not with the other BD covers. What Eishagishi wrote about English-language sources may have something to do with them being on the title cards to begin with – though Ghibli certainly haven't been consistent with that as Arrietty only has the Japanese.
If one's to not wait for the region B releases of any Ghibli BDs it should be those shot on film (Nausicaä, Laputa and Mimi so far) as those are the ones that Madman loves to blur and colour-shift Ghibli's transfers of, or those fresh from cinema release (as Ponyo at least, unlike the US BD, has only the US version, with the extended ending out of sync with the Japanese audio). Yamada-kun, Howl and Ged could go unharmed (and one could spend the money saved on on other great BDs like La Planète sauvage and Animation Express)… But on the other hand being digital could make meddling easier. I should really see that Yamada UK BD for myself before I start dishing out advice like this. (Wot! A Ghibli follower that doesn't already have all available on video? Cut a little slack for getting around to it; seeing them in cinemas comes first…)
As for Tales from Earthsea on BD: forget the film, I want it just for 44 minutes of OKADA Jun'ichi. But maybe not £50 want. I'll see whether that makes it to and gets subbed for the UK release (which will be from StudioCanal UK rather than Optimum, worth pointing out, as their name's being standardised come September); unlikely but they and Madman have surprised us before in a good way in subbing the Nausicaä commentary (if not particularly well).
Heads up, Whisper of the Heart UK BD releases November 21. Just found it on Amazon UK.
Nausicäa was just released on BD in the States (back in May, I think). I think that shows, somewhat, Disney's commitment to sticking with their Ghibli licenses.
Princess Mononoke is just noted as "Out of Print" on Nausicaa.net, which doesn't necessarily mean that Disney has let the license go. It may just mean that they're not going to sell the DVD until they've got the DVD/Blu-ray package ready to sell.
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