MONKEY GOES MAD MAX IN SAIYUKI: ReQUieM!

ADV Films, the leading producer-distributor of anime in the U.K., is proud to satisfy fan demands with the release of Saiyuki: Requiem - The Motion Picture, in stores 21^st August 2006! When the unspeakable evil of the demon world begins to plague mankind, powerful heroes are needed to defend the earth from these atrocities. Welcome to Saiyuki, the epic action/adventure story that brings you to a realm of magic and mysticism, sword and sorcery, and the eternal battle of good versus evil.

Based on the original 16th-century Chinese novel Xiyouji by Wu Cheng-En, Saiyuki first began to take shape with an animated version of the tale in the late 1960s. The current incarnation features a colorful cast of characters based on the popular manga by Kazuya Minekura and features the storyboard and direction work of Hayato Date (Naruto) along with Dentsu Inc. (Final Fantasy Unlimited) and Studio Pierrot (The Super Milk-chan Show, Naruto).  The collected manga volumes in English have been flying off the shelves of Waterstone’s, W.H.Smith’s. Ottakar’s and Blackwell’s all over the country.  Now fans can finally enjoy their heroes through the first-ever UK DVD release of a Saiyuki title, giving them exactly what they want:  full-on, no-holds-barred, demon-destroying action!

What the Press Said:
“A great movie for fans of the series, and a good introduction to the series for those who have never seen an episode of Saiyuki. Saiyuki: Requiem has got everything a great anime movie should have, extra material for the fans, new info/back-story for the newbies, and a story that every one can enjoy.” Gamerz-edge.com

“Highly recommended for any fans of fantasy or dark stories.” anime-planet.com

The Story:
The Sanzo party has always been haunted by the past, and most of the time they’ve been able to deal with their ghosts. But when they enter The House of Dougan, they may not be so lucky! Lured to the mysterious shrine by a beautiful girl, Sanzo, Goku, Gojyo, and Hakkai become ensnared in a trap of dangerous shikigami, murderous doppelgangers, and a malevolent monster that has destroyed his own soul for a demented purpose.

Saiyuki: Requiem - The Motion Picture (RRP £19.99) is a DVD-only release including a 95-minute 16:9 anamorphic widescreen feature presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 5.1 with English subtitles. Extras include: character profiles and art gallery, interview with creator Kazuya Minekura, Japanese promos and TV spots, voice actor commentary with the men of Saiyuki, reversible cover, fold-out poster insert and ADV previews.

Saiyuki: Requiem - The Motion Picture
Running Time: 95m                       Street Date: 21/08/06   Format: DVD

BBFC Classification: 15         Cat#: DSY-013           RRP: £19.99

CROMARTIE HIGH SCHOOL: SAILIN’ FOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER

ADV Films, the leading producer-distributor of anime in the U.K., lets the most delinquent school in Tokyo out for the summer! Cromartie High School: Sailin’ Fools rocks the UK from 21^st August 2006! With giant gorillas, a robot with an identity crisis, and a school full of brain-damaged delinquents, this is one school so far off the league tables, there are NO special measures that can save it!

Produced by Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex, Kill Bill vol.1) and TV Tokyo (Final Fantasy: Unlimited, Neon Genesis Evangelion) and based on the wildly popular manga by Eiji Nonaka (published on import by ADV Manga), Cromartie High School ventures forth into the deranged and wacked-out world of the infamous school for delinquents. Packed to the brim with crazy humor, pithy puns, political satire, and characters you’ll love to despise, Cromartie High School will leave your brain fried and your funny bone sore, like Monty Python producing Grange Hill!

What the Press Said:
“… so utterly bonkers that it's amazing … Cromartie High School is as mad as a box of frogs on LSD. It's also absolutely hilarious … A fabulous sample of Japanese surreality.” SFX Magazine

“… relentlessly deadpan … offbeat … uniquely Japanese … hilarious” NEO Magazine
“... Cromartie High School`s comedy hits as close to home in Japan as South Park`s does in the States.” DVD Verdict

The Story:
It's not easy being a delinquent. Especially if you're trying to survive the tough streets around Cromartie. There are chat room bullies with no manners. Aliens abducting your friends. Vicious biker gangs. And the Boss Championship-a famous cutthroat competition to determine who's the biggest badass around. (Of course, when Kamiyama's running it, it's more like a game show where you have to wear a stupid hat.) But it seems the biggest danger is...love. Yep, that's right, Mechazawa is in love. Luckily this romantic robot has friends like Kamiyama, Hayashida, and Maeda to reprogram him! Wait a minute. Maybe that's not such a good thing after all...

Cromartie High School: Sailin’ Fools (RRP £19.99) is a DVD-only release, including six episodes in English 5.1- and Japanese 2.0-language, with English subtitles. Extras include: cultural notes & comments; Japanese DVD, CD and PS2 Game commercials; original Japanese TV warning; clean opening and closing animations; original Japanese TV warnings; and ADV Previews.

Cromartie High School: Sailin’ Fools
Running Time: 75m                       Street Date: 21/08/06   Format: DVD

BBFC Classification: PG         Cat#: DCHS-003          RRP: £19.99

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ELFEN LIED: VECTOR FOUR BRINGS THE GORE TO AN END!

ADV Films, the leading producer-distributor of anime in the U.K., is proud to present from 21^st  August 2006 the fourth and final UNCUT volume of Elfen Lied, the bloody sci-fi horror spectacle that has shocked and amazed anime fans across the UK.  One of the most notorious series of the year, much has been made within the fan community of the casual nudity and limb-popping violence that are its hallmarks. One thing is for sure - there’s a lot of VERY satisfied customers out there who keep coming back for more - each volume on week of release is the best-selling brand new TV anime title nationwide!

Lucy, a beautiful young mutant, is bred by the government to be the ultimate weapon. Armed with unfathomable powers, she escapes her handlers, but loses her memory in the process. Fortunately, our young waif is taken in by two well-meaning students. Now, with government killers on her trail, the disposition of a five year old, and a hair trigger for ultra-violence, Lucy and her young friends must unravel the dark secret of her legacy before it’s too late. 

What the Press Said:
“Brutally violent, sexually provocative” New York Times
"The violence in Elfen Lied…far outstrips the controversial Gantz… an exceedingly dark study of the horrors human beings are capable of inflicting on others" SFX Magazine

“Manages to excite, amuse and shock in equal measure … entertaining and thought-provoking”  NEO Magazine
“Often terrifyingly beautiful, Elfen Lied achieves a rare feat in anime, as it takes those extreme adult tendencies so often associated to the form and exploits them within a compelling action and drama series.”  DVD Times

The Story:
The mysterious organization protecting humanity from the deadly power of the Diclonius is faced with the devil’s bargain. Will they unleash #35, the deadliest mutant yet, to hunt Lucy down? Or will they risk letting the notorious killer slip through the cracks? Things have never been easy for the young misfits at the heart of this battle, but they’ve never had it harder than this. As Kohta learns how Nyu’s past is inextricably tied to his life’s greatest tragedy, he may find that protecting her means destroying himself. Even those who have already lost pieces of themselves to this brutal fight have more to lose. As Nana goes from hunter to hunted, and Bandoh from lawman to outlaw, the shadow of death creeps closer. And what of the man who the diclonius call “Papa?” How far will Kurama go?

Elfen Lied - Vector 4 (RRP £19.99) is an anamorphic release presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 5.1 with English subtitles. Video extras include character artwork, production artwork, original Japanese cover artwork on reverse, clean opening animation, clean closing animation, and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.

Elfen Lied - Vector 4
Running Time: 75m                       Street Date: 21/08/06   Format: DVD

BBFC Classification: 15         Cat#: DELF-004          RRP: £19.99

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

D.N.ANGEL: THE LIGHT BREAK CLOSES OUT FAN-FAVE SHOW

ADV Films, the leading producer-distributor of anime in the U.K., is proud to present the seventh and final volume in the hit anime DVD series, DNAngel: The Light Breaks, available in stores everywhere from 21^st August 2006! Adapted from the international best-selling manga series by Yukiru Sugisaki, DNAngel is a romantic adventure with a fantastic premise. High school hottie Risa has two suitors: shy Daisuke and the magical thief Dark. But the twist is that Daisuke and Dark share the same body, and it’s Daisuke’s love for Risa that allows Dark to take over! The only way to resolve this romantic disaster is for Daisuke to win the heart of his true love - but since she’s only got eyes for Dark, that’s not happening anytime soon. 

What the Press Said:
“A light, enjoyable series” AnimeonDVD.com
“Truly entertaining” Animeboredom.co.uk
“A feel-good anime worthy of attention” Otakunews.com
“a gently riveting series that balances humor with adolescent angst and the promise of darker, more dangerous stories to come.”  Zap2it.com

The Story:
Daisuke Niwa’s life is already rough, but it’s about to get even harder. After finally learning the truth about his family’s fate and Dark’s origins, Daisuke comes to the realization that Dark may not be around forever. That’s not good, because as Daisuke’s confrontation with the ultimate evil approaches, he’s going to need Dark more than ever. Even with their family and friends behind them, will Daisuke and Dark be able to overpower Krad? What about The Black Wings? And will Daisuke ever see his love again? In this last thrilling volume of DNAngel, a foe becomes a friend for the good of all.

DNAngel: The Light Break (RRP £19.99) is a DVD-only release including episodes 24-26, presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles. Extras include a commentary track with voice actors Greg Ayres (Satoshi) and Illich Guardiola (Krad), “DNAngel Talk 5,” featuring Miyu Irino & Shunichi Miyamoto, the third installment of the 3D Scene Production special, and “DNAngel Unplugged: Caged Bird,” plus clean opening animation, clean closing animation, and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.

DNAngel: The Light Break
Running Time: 75m                       Street Date: 21/08/06   Format: DVD

BBFC Classification: PG         Cat#: DDNA-007          RRP: £19.99

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GET BACKERS: Memories, Mementos & Monkeys RELEASED INTO WILD THIS SUMMER!

ADV Films, the leading producer-distributor of anime in the U.K., keeps anime’s premier buddy action-comedy rolling as Get Backers: Memories, Mementos & Monkeys hits stores 21^st August 2006! Get Backers, animated by the famous Studio Deen (King of Bandit Jing), is the story of Ginji Amano and Ban Midou, two chronically broke but supernaturally empowered youths who run a “recovery service.” Their motto? “If it was taken, get it back.”  Based on the hit manga by Rando Ayamine & Yuya Aoki as seen in Weekly Shonen Magazine in Japan, the collected volumes in English have been flying off the shelves of Waterstone’s, W.H.Smith’s. Ottakar’s and Blackwell’s all over the country.  Now fans can watch their heroes in action. 

What the Press Said:
“an enjoyable ride” AnimeonDVD.com
“a consistently enthralling very pleasing series” Eyeonanime.co.uk
“a remarkably amusing and witty action comedy” Otakunews.com
“Get Backers is like a cool buddy cop show without all the ancillary baggage…plus super powers.” PLAY Magazine (US)

The Story:
You can’t outrun the past. Whether it’s a bad memory that dogs you, a good one you’re trying to hang onto, or an old nemesis you can’t quite shake loose, the past is always right over your shoulder. Good thing the Get Backers are here, ready to turn the crud of yesterday into the cold hard cash of today! Himiko’s hot on the trail of a kidnapped child-but will her memories keep her from getting the baby back safely? Ban and Ginji hit the beach for some R&R, leaving the next recovery job up to…Natsumi?! Shido is locked in a vicious battle with an Insect Master bent on destroying him. Ginji does something really dumb and winds up in the middle of a madcap hospital farce. And a pack of monkeys harass Ban and Ginji, forcing Shido to choose who he loves more: man or beast!

Get Backers: Memories, Mementos & Monkeys (RRP £19.99) is a DVD-only release including five episodes presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 with English subtitles. Extras include clean opening animation, clean closing animation, and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.

Get Backers: Memories, Mementos & Monkeys
Running Time: 125m              Street Date: 21/08/06   Format: DVD
BBFC Classification: 12 Cat#: DGBK-008          RRP: £19.99

About ADV Films:
ADV Films is the leading producer-distributor of Japanese animation (“anime”) in the United Kingdom, with the firm’s holdings including such premier titles as Neon Genesis Evangelion, Spriggan, Samurai X, RahXephon, Hellsing, Martian Successor Nadesico and Full Metal Panic! In addition, ADV Films distributes select fine programming in other genres, including live-action science-fiction titles such as the legendary updated Gamera films. Aside from moving-picture content production and distribution, ADV Films’ U.S. parent company, A.D. Vision, Inc., is the publisher of Newtype USA, the premier anime and manga monthly in the English-speaking world, and is the operator of North America’s Anime Network cable channel. In addition to the London office, A.D. Vision, Inc. maintains world headquarters in Houston, Texas, USA with additional studios in Austin, Texas and offices in Tokyo.