Earlier today, Discotek Media announced that they will release five titles on home video. The publisher will add the following:

• Kemono Friends
• Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales
• Honey and Clover
• Sorcerer Hunters
• Lupin the 3rd: The Last Job

We break the details of each title down below.

Kemono Friends

Discotek will ship the entire first season in a single high-definition Blu-Ray collection. Sound Cadence is producing an English dub for the series, the full cast of which will be revealed at Otakon.

Planned extras on the release include “Friend Bios, Bloopers, Behind-the-Scenes Video, [and] Commentary Tracks”, among others.

Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales

Disco will release the entire run of Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales in a single high-definition Blu-Ray collection. Other additional features have yet to be announced as of press time.

Honey and Clover

Honey and Clover will be released across two sets, which will include both the original Japanese audio and the English dub that was commissioned for Viz Media’s release. During the panel, it was revealed that Discotek has the original masters from the licensors, and they are redoing all subtitles for the project. Their version will not include the hard subtitles that were found in previous releases.

As of press time, the company is evaluating whether they will release the title on upconverted Blu-Ray, or if they will release a SD-BD version of the show.

Sorcerer Hunters

Discotek will release Sorcerer Hunters in a single SD-BD collection that will include all 26 TV episodes, plus the three OVAs. The release will include both the original Japanese audio, as well as ADV Films’ English dub.

Lupin the 3rd: The Last Job

Discotek will release Lupin the 3rd: The Last Job in subtitled Japanese format. The 2010 title is the eighteenth TV specials (out of twenty-seven) in the Lupin franchise that Discotek has published to date.

As of press time, no release date has been set for the project.

Kemono Friends

Kemono Friends began life as a smartphone game from publisher Nexon, which launched in March 2015. The game ended service on December 14, 2017, ahead of the anime’s January 10 première. In February, Nexon announced that, despite the anime’s popularity, the game wouldn’t return. A spokesperson softened the message later, stating that it’s “possible” for a revival of the game.

The Kemono Friends anime, which aired in Winter 2017, is based on said smartphone game. TATSUKI directed the show at Yaoyorozu, with Shigenori Tanabe (Danchi Tomoo) writing and overseeing the show’s scripts. Sgt. Frog creator Mine Yoshizaki is credited with the original character concept designs.

Crunchyroll streamed Kemono Friends as it aired in Japan. They describe the show as:

About The story takes place in Japari Park, an enormous integrated zoo built somewhere in this world. A mysterious substance found there, called “Sand Star,” causes the animals to turn into humanoid beings called “Animal Girls”! These new creatures spend every day peacefully with the zoo’s visitors… but after some time, a lost child turns up in the park. The child’s attempt to find the way home turns into a great adventure with the Animal Girls!

A second season, Kemono Friends 2, aired in the Winter 2019 broadcast season.

Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales

Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales aired in the Winter 2006 broadcast season.

The title, which was produced by Toei Animation, was an ensemble piece, which featured four directors, three scriptwriters, and three character designers, each of whom worked on three separate tales.

The directors included (specific story in parenthese): Hidehiko Kadota (Tenshu Monogatari), Kouzou Nagayama (Tenshu Monogatari), Kenji Nakamura (Bakaneko), and Tetsuo Imazawa (Yotsuya Kaidan). Screenwriters for the project included Chiaki J. Konaka (Yotsuya Kaidan), Michiko Yokote (Bakeneko), and Yuuji Sakamoto (Tenshu Monogatari). The team of Hideki Ito (Yotsuya Kaidan), Takashi Hashimoto (Bakeneko), and Yasuhiro Nakura (Tenshu Monogatari) provided character designs. Yoshitaka Amano (Final Fantasy, Vampire Hunter D) provided the original character designs for Yotsuya Kaidan.

Geneon Entertainment originally released the title in North America.

Honey and Clover

Honey and Clover originally aired in Spring 2005. Kenichi Kasai (Bakuman., Nodame Cantabile) directed the project at J.C. Staff, with Shuichi Shimamura (Angel Sanctuary, Nodame Cantabile) providing character designs. Yousuke Kuroda (Hayate the Combat Butler!!, Madlax) wrote the show’s scripts.

Viz Media originally released the title in North America. They describe it as:

Love, Life, Education!?

What do you get when you cross creativity with self-discovery and unrequited love? Art school!

Yuta Takemoto has no idea what’s in store for his life when he enrols at a Tokyo art college, but he find out right away it’ll never be dull! Love triangles form as fast as friendships when both Takemoto and senior classmate Shinobu Morita fall hard for shy artistic prodigy Hagumi Hanamoto. And while architecture student Takumi Mayama secretly pines for an older woman, dazzling ceramicist Ayu Yamada pines for him! Confused yet? Welcome to the bitter-sweet world of Honey and Clover…

Sorcerer Hunters

Sorcerer Hunters first aired in the Fall 1995 broadcast season. Kōichi Mashimo (The Irresponsible Captain Tylor, Noir) directed the project at studios Daume, T-Up, and Xebec. The team of Hisashi Abe (Psycho-Pass: Sinners of the System, Chobits) and Keiji Gotoh (Martian Successor Nadesico, Those Who Hunt Elves) provided character designs, while Hiroyuki Kawasaki (The Irresponsible Captain Tylor, Ronja the Robber’s Daughter) wrote the screenplay.

ADV Films originally released the title in North America, and describe it as:

A rose with a whip, a leather-clad dominatrix, a muscleman, a mystic, and a guy named Carrot who really takes the cake. (In this world, heroes are hard to find.)

In the magical Spooner Continent, five would-be heroes are sent by a powerful goddess to keep sorcerers in line. Named for various pastries, these gorgeous girls and handsome guys may be sweet, but they pack a seriously nasty punch.

There are the two sisters: Tira, a bookish, rosy-haired beauty who transforms into a busty, lusty whipcracker with a toss of her cape; and Chocolate, a sweet treat who can turn into a garrote-wielding dominatrix in the wink of her devilish eye. Joining these sexy siblings are Gateau, a muscle-headed he-man; and Marron, a delicate but powerful young mystic. But the wild card in the bunch is Carrot-a crazed, hormone-driven degenerate who would rather chase fair maidens than fight power-mad sorcerers, and whose beastly nature often gets the better of him-literally.

Lupin the 3rd: The Last Job

Lupin the 3rd: The Last Job originally aired in 2010. Tetsuro Amino (Macross 7, Shiki) directed the project at TMS Entertainment, with Satoshi Hirayama (Cat’s Eye, Lupin III: Crisis in Tokyo) providing character designs. Toshimichi Okawa (Lupin the 3rd: Green vs Red, Dirty Pair – 4 episodes) wrote the title’s screenplay.

Source: Discotek Media (Industry Panel) – Thanks to Ashley Hakker for the tip!

Anime North 2019: Discotek To Release Kemono Friends, 4 More on Blu-Ray – Samantha Ferreira