The Studio Ghibli (JP) Discussion Thread

[joelgutheil]

Originally Posted by Billy Moon

It appears December 1st is indeed also the release date for Earwig and the Witch on Blu-ray. No info on disney.co.jp yet, but up for preorder on Amazon.

Nice work Billy! How do you find this stuff? I can’t find it on Amazon Japan at all. Can you link it?

EDIT:
Some Googling did the trick: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B09JZLWVHC

Holy smokes £66 Inc delivery? I forgot how expensive this game was. Ordered. Feels good to have a new Ghibli JP release on its way, first since 2015 but a shame the film’s utter trash.

[manicsounds]

Because this is being released by Pony Canyon, as Disney is no longer the home video distributor for Ghibli.

[Billy Moon]

Originally Posted by manicsounds

Because this is being released by Pony Canyon, as Disney is no longer the home video distributor for Ghibli.

When did that happen? I was wondering about it, when Earwig didn’t come up on disney.co.jp. Does this mean we can expect differences in things like the case, menus etc? The cover art design is identical to the Disney releases.

The boxed set IS a Disney release, however. I suppose that's because they were already the distributor for most of the films included?

[Girls With Guns]

Originally Posted by Billy Moon

Does this mean we can expect differences in things like the case, menus etc? The cover art design is identical to the Disney releases.

Yes, this is my main concern - whether the packaging for the Earwig single will still be in an identical magnetic digipak as the rest of the Ghibli Silhouette series, or if it will end up being different now.

[Hydra Spectre]

I am still disappointed that they didn't release this on 4K UHD.
The film did get a Dolby Cinema release with Dolby Vision + Atmos so a 4K UHD with Dolby Vision + Atmos would be amazing.
The Blu-ray doesn't even have the theatrical Dolby Atmos mix.

[manicsounds]

At least it seems the existing releases are still with Disney, but Earwig is from Pony Canyon:
https://movie-product.ponycanyon.co.jp/item121/

The director's box is from Disney so I assume their disc of Earwig in that set is a license from Pony Canyon.

Originally Posted by Hydra Spectre

I am still disappointed that they didn't release this on 4K UHD.
The film did get a Dolby Cinema release with Dolby Vision + Atmos so a 4K UHD with Dolby Vision + Atmos would be amazing.
The Blu-ray doesn't even have the theatrical Dolby Atmos mix.

Considering how it was a bomb theatrically and critically, it seems like no surprise they are not giving this one a 4K release.

[nusilver]

Did Earwig ever get finished for its Japanese theater release? Do we know how long the film is on Blu-ray in Japan? I’m willing to give it a second chance if it’s actually got an ending.

I see the Amazon listing says it’s almost three hours… that can’t be right.

EDIT: Pony Canyon says the main feature is 83 minutes… I think the original cut was the same length, or maybe a minute shorter. Their DVD listing says 171 minutes for bonus features, so that’s probably where Amazon got their running time from. Boo.

[Hydra Spectre]

Originally Posted by manicsounds

Considering how it was a bomb theatrically and critically, it seems like no surprise they are not giving this one a 4K release.

It actually did pretty well in the Japanese box office. And Hayao Miyazaki himself loved the film and said it's up there with the average Pixar movie.

That said, it probably didn't perform as well as it could have because of reverse importation.
US Blu-rays of the film are being sold on Japanese shopping sites even before the film came out in Japanese cinemas. Ghibli probably mismanaged the release of the film.

It also brought in a ton of viewers when it premiered on NHK.

Ghibli started releasing DVDs with My Neighbors the Yamadas in 2000 and that was a box office bomb in Japan and is regularly one of Ghibli's worst performers in terms of home video sales, despite being a critical success.

Ghibli released the Iblard Time OVA on Blu-ray around the same time Tales from Earthsea came out on DVD and VHS only, which is odd since Tales from Earthsea, despite getting mixed reception, was one of the highest grossing films in Japan that year, so they could make tons of money releasing it on Blu-ray.
Instead, we had to wait until Ponyo to get Ghibli films (non-documentary/OVA releases) on Blu-ray and that one even had its Blu-ray release months after the DVD.

I am still hoping Earwig would at least get a 4K UHD a few months from now.

[manicsounds]

Originally Posted by Hydra Spectre

It actually did pretty well in the Japanese box office. And Hayao Miyazaki himself loved the film and said it's up there with the average Pixar movie.

That said, it probably didn't perform as well as it could have because of reverse importation.
US Blu-rays of the film are being sold on Japanese shopping sites even before the film came out in Japanese cinemas. Ghibli probably mismanaged the release of the film.

It also brought in a ton of viewers when it premiered on NHK.

Ghibli started releasing DVDs with My Neighbors the Yamadas in 2000 and that was a box office bomb in Japan and is regularly one of Ghibli's worst performers in terms of home video sales, despite being a critical success.

Ghibli released the Iblard Time OVA on Blu-ray around the same time Tales from Earthsea came out on DVD and VHS only, which is odd since Tales from Earthsea, despite getting mixed reception, was one of the highest grossing films in Japan that year, so they could make tons of money releasing it on Blu-ray.
Instead, we had to wait until Ponyo to get Ghibli films (non-documentary/OVA releases) on Blu-ray and that one even had its Blu-ray release months after the DVD.

I am still hoping Earwig would at least get a 4K UHD a few months from now.

I don't know where you found that it did well in Japan. It only made about ¥400 million in Japan in the first month. It opened wide, but disappeared from most cinemas quickly and a month later only played in a handful of locations. In comparison "Yamadas" made ¥790 million in Japan.

Television as well. It had a ranking of 6.1% of households watched on its initial broadcast. That was the lowest Ghibli broadcast for in house features.

[Hydra Spectre]

It still performed well considering how small the budget was in comparison to a usual Ghibli film.

[joelgutheil]

I guess re the new release and distributor we can only wait and see an early receiver to see whether it’s the same as the magnet silhouette releases. I mean I would hope that Ghibli would keep continuity regardless of distributor, as the front’s at least the same…but, you never know. The price listed would imply it’s the same as not many blu rays can command the price tag Ghibli releases do.

In this new COVID world with ghibli having opened their social media doors + the museum shop having opened online (albeit in Japanese and I suspect only shipping domestically?) maybe, we might see the blu ray release of the museum shorts if attendance levels continue to remain low especially as Japan remains locked down to international travellers.

What do you guys think?

[GC Riot]

[nusilver]

Pretty sad that after 10 years and seven months, a new Ghibli release in the Silhouette Series can't muster up more than the sound of a wet fart from the most devoted collectors out there (except for Billy Moon, who seems pretty into this one.) I did rewatch the first 20 minutes or so the other night and enjoyed myself well enough.

Also, guess I'm gonna have to take a new profile pic, eh?

[joelgutheil]

Originally Posted by nusilver

Pretty sad that after 10 years and seven months, a new Ghibli release in the Silhouette Series can't muster up more than the sound of a wet fart from the most devoted collectors out there (except for Billy Moon, who seems pretty into this one.) I did rewatch the first 20 minutes or so the other night and enjoyed myself well enough.

Also, guess I'm gonna have to take a new profile pic, eh?

So true! Hahaha

I rewatched Kingdom of Dreams & Madness yesterday to reinvigorate the Ghibli love, cos Earwig sure ain’t gonna do it.

[joelgutheil]

A real “must read” masterclass of analysis/article for anyone who hasn’t seen this in the last day or so since it was posted. You might need to login with Google but it’s well worth it:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/23/t...io-ghibli.html

[GC Riot]

Originally Posted by joelgutheil

I guess re the new release and distributor we can only wait and see an early receiver to see whether it’s the same as the magnet silhouette releases. I mean I would hope that Ghibli would keep continuity regardless of distributor, as the front’s at least the same…but, you never know. The price listed would imply it’s the same as not many blu rays can command the price tag Ghibli releases do.

In this new COVID world with ghibli having opened their social media doors + the museum shop having opened online (albeit in Japanese and I suspect only shipping domestically?) maybe, we might see the blu ray release of the museum shorts if attendance levels continue to remain low especially as Japan remains locked down to international travellers.

What do you guys think?

I'm hoping the case remains the same. Would be a shame to break continuity now.

I also hope we'll see a release of the Museum shorts. I've seen three of them in potato vision, and they're a pure delight.

[Girls With Guns]

Originally Posted by nusilver

Pretty sad that after 10 years and seven months, a new Ghibli release in the Silhouette Series can't muster up more than the sound of a wet fart from the most devoted collectors out there (except for Billy Moon, who seems pretty into this one.)

Also, guess I'm gonna have to take a new profile pic, eh?

Lol, guess I'll need to take a new "Catch the Rainbow" Skittles photo of all the Ghibli silhouette digipaks - my last pic was actually missing one of the last titles even then, I forget which one - Ocean Waves, I believe. Grrr, gotta dig it out now to look...



I do have them all pictured here in my theater, including Ocean Waves, but I'll need to take an updated photo now for this one, too!

[nusilver]

Originally Posted by Girls With Guns

Lol, guess I'll need to take a new "Catch the Rainbow" Skittles photo of all the Ghibli silhouette digipaks - my last pic was actually missing one of the last titles even then, I forget which one - Ocean Waves, I believe. Grrr, gotta dig it out now to look...



I do have them all pictured here in my theater, including Ocean Waves, but I'll need to take an updated photo now for this one, too!

Nice to hear from you! My theater is finally taking shape now that we’ve bought a house, too, although it’s not in our basement… we’re using our 20x10 foot shed, which is perfect for a 110” screen powered by an Epson 5050UB. So far, it’s unfinished… I have the electricity, sound system and projector installed, plus a temporary heating/AC solution, and have insulated about half of it. Eventually, drywall, dark paint, all that jazz. But yeah. It’s been a pretty awesome way to see all these day-and-date WB movies on HBO Max :-)

Edit: totally forgot why I stopped by. My card’s been pinged for the new silhouette release! Should have it soon. Joel has me itching for the new box set (and I’m really curious if any of the transfers are different, ala Nausicaa) but for right now I just can’t justify another $400 on movies I already own.

[Girls With Guns]

Originally Posted by nusilver

Nice to hear from you! My theater is finally taking shape now that we’ve bought a house, too, although it’s not in our basement… we’re using our 20x10 foot shed, which is perfect for a 110” screen powered by an Epson 5050UB. So far, it’s unfinished… I have the electricity, sound system and projector installed, plus a temporary heating/AC solution, and have insulated about half of it. Eventually, drywall, dark paint, all that jazz. But yeah. It’s been a pretty awesome way to see all these day-and-date WB movies on HBO Max :-)

Edit: totally forgot why I stopped by. My card’s been pinged for the new silhouette release! Should have it soon. Joel has me itching for the new box set (and I’m really curious if any of the transfers are different, ala Nausicaa) but for right now I just can’t justify another $400 on movies I already own.

Hey buddy, awesome to hear you're working on a theater room setup at your new place, congrats! I'm still using a 5030UB in my theater, my 5010 developed a vertical column of blue pixels a few years ago, and I was waiting and waiting for the 5050 to come out, got tired of waiting and picked up a re-furb 5030UB direct from Epson in the interim for only $1000, and that's been working like a champ at least for standard HD and 3D. I have an Oppo 203 4K player in my A/V rack, but still no 4K in my theater as of yet...

I have to wait until Wednesday (Tuesday night US time) to put my order in for the dang JP Earwig silhouette release, as I have a couple other items going into the same order, and I want to be sure they all ship together along with a Newtype magazine in one plank-in-the-box package for the best damage control.

[GC Riot]

Amazon has charged my card at least, so I should end up having the disc on Monday or so hopefully.
EDIT: Found on Twitter. Sure looks like the packaging is uniform with the others!