Nakama Britannica

With the warmth of summer now behind us, now is the time to retreat indoors out of the autumn wind and rain. Personally I like to unwind in front of the TV when the great British weather turns; fortunately there’s plenty on offer from the UK’s anime DVD distributors to prevent boredom setting in! There are a number of exciting new titles to hit the shelves in the next few months, but here’s my own shortlist of favourites that I’d recommend.

The Shinkai Collection

Makoto Shinkai has been repeatedly praised for his award-winning ability to combine heartfelt romance, convincing character drama and gorgeous, sweeping visuals; although the films Voices of a Distant Star (complete with his debut short She and Her Cat) and The Place Promised in our Early Days have been out on DVD separately for a while now, they have only been recently made available in the UK as one package. If you’ve been putting it off before, now is as good a time as any to get hold of the first offerings from one of the industry’s most promising new talents.

The Shinkai Collection is available from ADV Films from September 3.

Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad

The long-awaited slice of life drama (based on Harold Sakuishi’s manga), focused around a group of Japanese teenagers who form their own rock band and make a break for the big time, is finally available in the UK from Revelation. There’s also a limited edition of the first volume, which includes the Volume #1 DVD, guitar pick and sticker sheet; it’s all packaged in a novelty collector’s box designed to look like a guitar amp.

It’s a fairly unusual series by anime standards: it is firmly grounded in reality with distinctive character designs, a storyline that unfolds at a relaxed pace and a varied soundtrack with contributions from the likes of the Beat Crusaders. There’s comedy, drama and an engaging cast of characters - all of this leads me to declare this a recommended title.

Volume #1 is available from Revelation Films from September 17.

Paprika

The latest feature film from acclaimed director Satoshi Kon has received a good deal of anticipation, partly due to the delays that put its UK release date back, much to the disappointment of impatient fans. Rest assured though that it’s been worth the wait: the premise of a cutting-edge psychotherapy treatment that allows scientists to literally enter people’s dreams and the mayhem that ensues when the technology is stolen from the reasearch lab makes for an imaginative and colourful rollercoaster ride.

Once again the combination of Kon’s wry humour, Studio Madhouse’s lush visuals and another musical score penned by Susumu Hirasawa make for an hour and a half of brilliant entertainment; nothing less than what we’d expect from the creative team who were behind the likes of Milennium Actress and Paranoia Agent.

Paprika is available from Columbia Tristar from September 24.

Mushishi

The supernatural mystery-drama from Studio Artland has already built a loyal fanbase both in Japan and the West but is about to hit UK shelves this October - with the option of a ’starter set’ which includes the first DVD volume in a collector’s artbox.

Set in an unspecified era of historical Japan, Mushishi follows the life of Ginko, a man who travels the countryside studying enigmatic supernatural creatures known as ‘mushi’. A mixture of folk tale and fantasy, Mushishi is a mesmerising combination of stunning imagery and haunting music - unique and unmissable!

Volume #1 is available from Revelation Films from October 22.

So, that should keep your viewing time occupied for the next few weeks - feel free to leave a comment below on these or any other new titles that you’re looking forward to. Remember that the Anime UK News Reviews Schedule is regularly updated to offer at-a-glance information on the release dates of recent and upcoming UK anime DVD releases.