Studio Ghibli

[Zen_Amako]

It took a while to get all the Ghibli films on DVD as well, at least in Japan. The US releases were in "waves", but in Japan, they were released one at a time over many months. Nausicaa was actually the last catalog title released in Japan on DVD, IIRC.

[MJW]

I've been checking Amazon.com every once in a while to see if placeholder pages get put up for Castle in the Sky and/or My Neighbors the Yamadas, which usually means an approaching release.

Today, I found this listing for a Castle in the Sky on Blu-ray: http://www.amazon.com/Castle-in-the-Sky-Blu-ray/dp/B00549I39W/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1307312881&sr=8-7

Now, I realize that it says "Format: Import," so this could just be a third-party seller selling imports from overseas, but it's interesting that it also says "Ships from and sold by Amazon.com."

I'm going to keep an eye out to see if this product page is updated further. Amazon is known to throw up a quick "placeholder" page when an item is newly listed, and then a few days later the real information is added. It'd be great if this was for the legitimate Disney edition, as it lists a release date of 6/21 which is only about 2 weeks away!

[AnimeOnBlu]

That version is likely the Hong Kong version by IVL. It gets released in HK in 5 days. Amazon does sometimes sell imports or do fulfillments for third party sellers.

[kemcha]

Please note that Studio Ghibli will not announce a Blu-ray release for the United States until the date for the Japanese version is announced. Disney Home Video has the licensing rights for releasing the films in Japan and in the United States.

Ghibli is very, very protective, or I would say, overprotective of all of their properties and Hayao Miyazaki is also very distrustful over changes made to his films by American companies and his concerns are not unwarranted.

Amazon has a very notorious tendency of pre-releasing street dates and/or titles before they are properly announced by the studio releasing them. Don't trust those release dates on the Studio Ghibli movies because they never announce more than one title at a time. I find it doubtful that there are two scheduled at the same time.

[MJW]

Originally Posted by kemcha

Please note that Studio Ghibli will not announce a Blu-ray release for the United States until the date for the Japanese version is announced. Disney Home Video has the licensing rights for releasing the films in Japan and in the United States.

Not sure if you already know, but Laputa: Castle in the Sky and My Neighbors the Yamadas were already released in Japan in December 2010. As of April and May 2011, they've also been released in Australia and the UK, respectively. It's only a matter of time before both make their way to US as Disney releases (hopefully), so that is where the speculation comes from.

Originally Posted by kemcha

Don't trust those release dates on the Studio Ghibli movies because they never announce more than one title at a time. I find it doubtful that there are two scheduled at the same time.

Unless I am mistaken, Laputa: Castle in the Sky and My Neighbors the Yamadas were both released side by side in December 2010, and Ghibli currently has Arrietty the Borrower (June 2011) and Whisper of the Heart (July 2011) as Blu-ray titles on their release schedules in Japan, so that doesn't match up with the idea that the studio doesn't announce/release more than one title at a time.

[GC Riot]

Originally Posted by MJW

Not sure if you already know, but Laputa: Castle in the Sky and My Neighbors the Yamadas were already released in Japan in December 2010. As of April and May 2011, they've also been released in Australia and the UK, respectively. It's only a matter of time before both make their way to US as Disney releases (hopefully), so that is where the speculation comes from.



Unless I am mistaken, Laputa: Castle in the Sky and My Neighbors the Yamadas were both released side by side in December 2010, and Ghibli currently has Arrietty the Borrower (June 2011) and Whisper of the Heart (July 2011) as Blu-ray titles on their release schedules in Japan, so that doesn't match up with the idea that the studio doesn't announce/release more than one title at a time.

True. Yamadas and Laputa were both released on the same day in Japan, in December last year. It seems that for catalog titles, they release one or two at a time with about half a year in between, so it wouldn't surprise me if we see two more in Japan in time for Christmas.

[MJW]

Originally Posted by GC Riot

True. Yamadas and Laputa were both released on the same day in Japan, in December last year. It seems that for catalog titles, they release one or two at a time with about half a year in between, so it wouldn't surprise me if we see two more in Japan in time for Christmas.

Yeah, the pace of releases in pretty steady in Japan, it's just the wait for them to make it to the rest of the world that's slow as molasses!

I completely understand the policy with the delay following a Japanese release, but it seems like Disney is the slowest of the bunch when it comes to these releases. Typically, the USA seems to be the last on the list to get a Ghibli Blu-ray, which is a shame. We're not even going to see a theatrical release of Arrietty the Borrower until February 2012. That puts any chance of an Arrietty Blu-ray not until late Spring or early Summer (or worse).

I just hope that Laputa and Yamadas makes a US Blu-ray debut by the end of 2011, otherwise the titles will really start to pile up. I also hope that Disney isn't holding out on us until next February to release these two on Blu-ray, to tie-in with the Arrietty premiere.

[GC Riot]

Originally Posted by MJW

Yeah, the pace of releases in pretty steady in Japan, it's just the wait for them to make it to the rest of the world that's slow as molasses!

I completely understand the policy with the delay following a Japanese release, but it seems like Disney is the slowest of the bunch when it comes to these releases. Typically, the USA seems to be the last on the list to get a Ghibli Blu-ray, which is a shame. We're not even going to see a theatrical release of Arrietty the Borrower until February 2012. That puts any chance of an Arrietty Blu-ray not until late Spring or early Summer (or worse).

I just hope that Laputa and Yamadas makes a US Blu-ray debut by the end of 2011, otherwise the titles will really start to pile up. I also hope that Disney isn't holding out on us until next February to release these two on Blu-ray, to tie-in with the Arrietty premiere.

Well, it's to stop parallell imports. The Japanese releases are expensive and they still want them to sell. Australia and Europe are region B, whereas the US and Japan are both region A, which I think is the biggest reason for the long wait. I pay the premium for the Japanese versions so it's not really an issue for me, but I can see how US fans can feel like they're getting the short end of the stick when it comes to waiting...

[Zen_Amako]

Originally Posted by GC Riot

Well, it's to stop parallell imports. The Japanese releases are expensive and they still want them to sell. Australia and Europe are region B, whereas the US and Japan are both region A, which I think is the biggest reason for the long wait. I pay the premium for the Japanese versions so it's not really an issue for me, but I can see how US fans can feel like they're getting the short end of the stick when it comes to waiting...

What's a little odd is that while they appear to be concerned about cheaper region A BDs from the US, they apparently don't have a problem with cheaper
region A BDs coming out in HK. Laputa will be released in HK in a few days for about $35 USD, and HK is the same BD region as Japan.

[stobbart]

I just import the Japanese ones. They are the best releases and in that year+ that you have to wait for the US release you could have watched a movie you enjoy a number of times. And I feel that in a year from now, the extra $60 I spent on that movie will be insignificant in the outcome of my life.

[molson1138]

Originally Posted by stobbart

I just import the Japanese ones. They are the best releases and in that year+ that you have to wait for the US release you could have watched a movie you enjoy a number of times. And I feel that in a year from now, the extra $60 I spent on that movie will be insignificant in the outcome of my life.

Where is a good place to order the imports from?

[Battra92]

Originally Posted by molson1138

Where is a good place to order the imports from?

YesAsia and CDJapan are good places to get Japanese DVDs. Amazon JP is also good and many times preferable.

[stobbart]

Originally Posted by Battra92

YesAsia and CDJapan are good places to get Japanese DVDs. Amazon JP is also good and many times preferable.

I use YesAsia for the Ghibli titles since they are free shipping for those. Amazon JP has slightly lower prices but charge about $20 in shipping. If you were to purchase like 4 or 5 it may be slightly cheaper going Amazon JP.

[MJW]

I've thought about importing, both for the titles that I don't have yet (because they're not available in the US) and also the ones I already have from Disney! The packaging of the Japanese releases looks really nice, and because I'm quickly becoming a "Ghibli freak," I'd like to have those in my collection as well.

For those of us waiting for the US releases, I hope Disney understands that there is a definite Ghibli fan base here. Sure, the Ghibli canon might not sell as well as Disney's own animated classics, but I think there are definitely enough people with genuine interest in these titles to warrant proper and timely releases.

It's good to see activity in this thread after it sat dormant for a while!

[ungood]

Originally Posted by MJW

Unless I am mistaken, Laputa: Castle in the Sky and My Neighbors the Yamadas were both released side by side in December 2010, and Ghibli currently has Arrietty the Borrower (June 2011) and Whisper of the Heart (July 2011) as Blu-ray titles on their release schedules in Japan, so that doesn't match up with the idea that the studio doesn't announce/release more than one title at a time.

Originally Posted by GC Riot

True. Yamadas and Laputa were both released on the same day in Japan, in December last year. It seems that for catalog titles, they release one or two at a time with about half a year in between, so it wouldn't surprise me if we see two more in Japan in time for Christmas.

Good to have info from people that actually have the correct facts!

[kemcha]

Just because they are being released in Japan in pairs doesn't mean that they'll be released that way here in the United States. I've been watching and collecting Japanese anime since the early 1980's and Miyazaki-san's mistrust of his films being released in the United States is very well know and very documented.

I would imagine that we'll see one release at a time when it comes to North American releases. The reason they are released in rapid succession in Japan is because Japanese anime is one of Japan's biggest economies. So, of course anime is released much sooner in Japan than it is in the United States.

[stobbart]

Has anyone here seen Arrietty? What are your thoughts on the film. I don't really want to wait a year to see it. And I don't really want to pay the $80 to import a movie that I may not like.

I have read plenty of reviews online and from what I have read the animation is great, but the movie is just so-so. It's not really up to the same level as the other outputs from Ghibli

[Toptube]

Originally Posted by stobbart

I have read plenty of reviews online and from what I have read the animation is great, but the movie is just so-so. It's not really up to the same level as the other outputs from Ghibli

my initial reaction to this is that people are jaded and are expecting something that is unlikely to ever exist. But who knows. Spirited Away also seems to get the most recognition in the west, when I feel its not even in the top 3, so...

By way of its source material, Arrietty also seems like its meant to be of a smaller focus than some of the larger more adventurous movies in the Ghibli catalogue.

[stobbart]

Originally Posted by Toptube

my initial reaction to this is that people are jaded and are expecting something that is unlikely to ever exist. But who knows. Spirited Away also seems to get the most recognition in the west, when I feel its not even in the top 3, so...

By way of its source material, Arrietty also seems like its meant to be of a smaller focus than some of the larger more adventurous movies in the Ghibli catalogue.

My top 3 would probably be Whisper of the Heart, Only Yesterday, and My Neighbor the Yamadas. I mean Spirited Away and Princess M are good films, but I tend to enjoy the more emotionally charged films as opposed to the spectacle.

[Toptube]

Originally Posted by stobbart

My top 3 would probably be Whisper of the Heart, Only Yesterday, and My Neighbor the Yamadas. I mean Spirited Away and Princess M are good films, but I tend to enjoy the more emotionally charged films as opposed to the spectacle.

yeah Whisper of The Heart is really damned good. That one surprised me because I'd never heard about it from anyone, but just decided to buy it on a whim.

My most favorite Miyazaki/Ghibli is Kiki's Delivery service, for a number of reasons. I also happen think that Disney's dub and Miyazaki approved changes/additions make it even better than the original Japanese version. The added sound effects, score, and Phil Hartman's Jiji.