Japanese Film & Anime on DVD - Top 25 at JBOX.com

1. Seven Days in Japan

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 23:12:22 -0500

"Seven Days in Japan" is a fascinating documentary made by student film director and anime fan Joe Doughrity, who fulfilled his lifelong dream of coming to Japan. Over the course of a week, Joe explores the ins and outs of Tokyo, sampling the traditional, the otaku-inspired and the silly, experiencing such bizarre aspects of Japan as ganguro girls (the dark-skinned kogals in Tokyo), JPOP music, the nightlife of Shibuya, and even fighting champ Bob Sapp. Join Joe as they explore Ueno Park...

2. My Neighbor Totoro ~ Tonari no Totoro (region 2)

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 22:36:34 -0400

The long wait for Hayao Miyazaki's anime masterpiece is over, with the excellent 2-disc release of My Neighbor Totoro. A wonderful film about a magical discovery of two girls, Totoro is filled with incredibly and memorable characters -- the magical Totoro, the unforgettable Neko-bus (cat bus), and more. A fantastic DVD release from Studio Ghibli and Buena Vista Japan, this release includes both the original Japanese version and the English-dubbed, as well English subtitles, so you can enjoy...

3. Ghibli Short Short Special (region 2)

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:34:50 -0500

Studio Ghibli completists will definitely be interested in this -- "Short Short", a complete collection of all the odds and ends (commercials, music videos) that Ghibli has created over the years, from 1992 to 2005. Included in this 42 minute collection are shorts directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Yoshifumi Kondou, Yoshiyuki Momose, Osamu Tanabe, Shinji Hashimoto, and Takeshi Inamura, and feature not only new characters, but familiar characters from Totoro, Spirited Away, Grave of the Fireflies, and...

4. Ocean Waves ~ Umi ga kikoeru (region 2)

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:34:50 -0500

A wonderful story from Japanese novelist Saeko Himuro and Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli, this is the painful story of growing up in a rural high school in Kochi Prefecture, on the Japanese island of Shikoku. In the summer of his 17th year, Taku Morisaki is making preparations for college when Rikako Muto transfers into his class. A mysterious and sometimes difficult city girl who has trouble getting along with others in the school, Rikako nevertheless slowly captures the interest of Taku. A...

5. Howl's Moving Castle (region 2)

Wed, 16 May 2007 12:56:16 -0400

Howl's Moving Castle is an amazing film by Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, a visual treat for everyone. It is the story of a young girl, Sophie, who believes herself too plain to ever find love. Before she knows it, however, she's been swept off her feet by the mysterious magic-user Howl, whose magical Moving Castle is famous throughout the land. Changed into a 90 year old woman by an old mage's curse, she must find a new life with Howl and the many magical...

6. Training with Hinako (Region 2)

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:43:36 -0500

If you've been looking for a reason to get in shape but haven't found the motivation to do it, look no further, Hinako is here to help. In the latest fitness craze to get you back into shape, this first anime workout DVD entitled "Isshou ni Training" (Training Together) features the uber genki Hinako, who takes you through a series of daily exercise routines consisting of squats, sit ups and pushups to get your heart pumping. To add to the excitement, the DVD features a variety of costumes...

7. Princess Mononoke *Deluxe 3 DVD release (region 2)

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 15:12:31 -0400

Princess Mononoke (Mononoke Hime) was an incredible success in Japan, making more money than any movie released here before it. A wonderful tale of the conflict between man and nature, it's told in masterful style by master Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki. This very special Japanese release features *3 DVDs* that are just loaded with extras. In addition to the full Japanese version, you get 8 different language versions -- English, French, Cantonese, Italian, Spanish, German, and Portuguese...

8. Omoide Poro Poro ~ Only Yesterday (region 2)

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:18:05 -0400

This brilliant film was directed by Isao Takahata, famous for his heart-wrenching war piece, Grave of the Fireflies. The story of Taeko Ohjima, a single woman living in Tokyo, working as an OL, who decides to take a small vacation to the countryside. Since she has no relatives of her own to visit, she calls upon her sister-in-law's relations to live the life of a farmer. Never could there be a greater dichotomy from the world that she has just left. It is in this simpler, yet nonetheless...

9. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind DVD (region 2)

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 22:36:34 -0400

A staggering achievement of animation, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Kaze no Tani no Nausicaa) is the film that made director Hayao Miyazaki into what he is today: the premier Japanese creator of animation. A thousand years in the future, the remnants of humanity struggle for survival against the giant insects of the Sea of Corruption. The story of Princess Nausicaa and her battle to save her people from the political maneuvering of Kushana of Torumekia, who seeks to destroy the insects...

10. Castle in the Sky Laputa (region 2)

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 09:29:32 -0400

The long wait for one of Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki's most famous and best-ever works is over, with the release of Laputa Castle in the Sky on DVD. A superb film made in 1986, just as Mr. Miyazaki was beginning his climb to international fame as the leading anime creator in Japan, it tells the fascinating story of Pazu and Sheeta and their search for the fabled floating city of Laputa, the remnant of an ancient civilization. A fantastic DVD release from Studio Ghibli and Buena...

11. Porco Rosso ~ Kurenai no Buta (region 2)

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 16:54:23 -0400

Another excellent DVD release in the "Ghibli ga ippai" (Ghibli Everywhere) collection, this fabulous 2-DVD set is highly recommended for all fans of Hayao Miyazaki for its depth and great story and characters. A popular animated feature film about pilots in Italy after World War I, it's filled with charming Miyazaki characters and great animation. This DVD set is extra-special because it comes with FULL English subtitles and an English dubbed track, so you can enjoy the rich story in...

12. Whisper of the Heart ~ Mimi wo Sumaseba (region 2)

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 10:39:55 -0400

A great new DVD release in the Ghibli ga Ippai (Ghibli Everywhere) collection, this is Whisper of the Heart (Japanese title "Mimi o sumaseba" also translated as "If you listen closely"). Directed by Yoshifumi Kondo and produced by Hayao Miyazaki, this tells the story of the Shizuku, an average 14 year old Japanese girl with a more than active imagination, and of the journey she makes from girlhood into something more, of first girlish love and a rite of passage. A pleasant...

13. Raccoon Wars ~ Heisei Tanuki Gassen Pon Poko (region 2)

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 16:54:23 -0400

A great Studio Ghibli film available for the first time on DVD, this is Heisei Tanuki Gassen, or "Raccoon Wars" in English. When a clan of tanuki (a small dog in Asia similar to a Raccoon, called a Raccoon Dog) is threatened with the destruction of their home and possible extinction, they fight back using everything from magic to their wits to stop the humans from invading. But how does a small group of mammals stop bulldozers or construction men many more times their size? It's a...

14. TALES from EARTHSEA ~ Gedo Senki (region 2)

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:04:25 -0400

In the world known as Earthsea, there is a disturbance in the balance of life. Magic is losing its power, crops failing, live stock are dying and two dragons appear to devour each other, a sign that the balance of the world is falling apart. The archemage (greatest of all wizards) named Ged (aka Sparrowhawk) sets out for a journey to discover the reason for this imbalance, leading him to Arran, an exiled prince constantly running from a shadow that fills him with fear. This leads them to a town...

15. The Cat Returns ~ Neko No Ongaeshi (region 2)

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 16:54:23 -0400

Studio Ghibli has come into its own as one of the world's foremost animation houses. This latest DVD release tells the story of a young girl, Haru, who saves a cat prince from being hit by a truck. In return for saving his son's life, the king of cats changes Haru into a cat to marry his son. But everything is not as it would seem, a war rages between the cats, and Haru isn't so sure she's up to marrying the prince. Directed by Hiroyuki Morita and based loosely on the manga Baron - Neko No...

16. Spirited Away ~ Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (region 2)

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 16:54:23 -0400

The runaway hit anime movie from Hayao Miyazaki, this is Spirited Away (Japanese title Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi , or the Spiriting Away of Sen and Chihiro), the film that sunk Titanic as the top-grossing film of all time in Japan. This is the brand new DVD release from Studio Ghibli and Buena Vista Home Entertainment, and it's a dynamite one for fans and collectors of Hayao Miyazaki's excellent feature films. The charming story follows Chihiro, a girl who is moving to a new town with her...

17. Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (region 2)

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:46:26 -0500

A touching story directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Ponyo is the story of a very special fish who desires to be human so she can be with her friend Sousuke. When Ponyo meets her new friend and accidentally licks a wound on his finger, she achieves the magical ability to change her form into that of a human. Despite the protests of her father, she is determined to be with her new friend, and the result is a touching journey that only Miyazaki could bring us. Features fully optional English subtitles...

18. Pythagora Switch DVD Book 1

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:21:42 -0500

The Rube Goldberg Machine is a complex creation that is powered by a domino effect that sets off a chain reaction of activities to ultimately result in a desired (often very simple) action. One prime example of the Rube Goldberg Machine is a famous scene from the movie Goonies that triggers events to open a gate. In NHK's effort to spark the ingenuity in children, the program Pata Gora Suichi (Pythagora Switch) was created, which featured a fantastic and elaborate Rube Goldberg Machine to which...

19. INNOCENCE ~ ABSOLUTE EDITION (Blu-ray Disc) (English Subtitled ver.)

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 05:33:32 -0400

Bato is a living cyborg. His whole body, even his arms and legs, are entirely man-made. What only remains are traces of his brain and the memories of a woman. In an era when the boundary between humans and machines has become infinitely vague, Humans have forgotten that they are humans. This is the debauchery of the lonesome ghost of a man, who nevertheless seeks to retain humanity. Innocence... Is what life is... Innocence is the sequel to the original anime film Ghost in the Shell previously...

20. Kiki's Delivery Service 2-disc set (region 2)

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:10:33 -0400

Available for the first time on DVD, this is the fabulously beautiful Kiki's Delivery Service (Japanese title "Majo no Takkyubin"), the excellent animated feature film by Miyazaki Hayao. A superb DVD release for collectors that is well worth the price, this 2-disc set includes the full Japanese version of the film, including both the English dubbed and subtitled versions, as well as the original Japanese trailer, comments from the director, and a complete storyboard version of the...

21. Big Dreams Little Tokyo

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:55:32 -0500

Boyd, a self-proclaimed businessman convinced he's Japanese, and his roommate Jerome, a sluggish but affable Japanese-American sumo wrestler, have big dreams for themselves. Together, the two travel door-to-door by tandem bike, giving flyers and sales pitches to anyone who listens...but Boyd's Japanese clients aren't buying his "Translation Services," and no one will give Jerome--a paltry 200 pounds--a chance in the ring. When they meet Mia, who is unfazed by their oddities and offers a hand...

22. Moon and Earth ~ Earth Rising (Blu-ray Disc)

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 05:13:23 -0500

We've all see the beauty of a full moon rising, but many have wondered what it would be like to see things from the other side. Thanks to the astronauts at JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency aka Japan's version of NASA) they bring to you a sight that is rarely seen by human eyes. On board the shuttle "Kaguya," the crew utilize NHK's latest high definition cameras to capture moon side views of the Earth rising all in a crystal clear Blu-Ray format. No special effects or computer graphics...

23. Sabra DVD Mook ~ Fragility -- Natsuko Tatsumi

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:29:51 -0400

Sabra is back again with a special photobook, featuring the super sexy Natsuko Tatsumi. Get ready for more than a hundred full page beautiful pictures, panty shots, bikinis, sexy lingerie, fashion and more. Natsuko Tatsumi looks hot in any situations, and you get to enjoy her beautiful body and cute face at its best. Get this soft cover limited photobook now!

24. Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete (Blu-ray Disc)

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:36:04 -0400

Final Fantasy VII Advent Children is now available on Blu-Ray disc and in High Definition! The film is based on the highly successful 1997 console role-playing game Final Fantasy VII. It is set two years after the events of the game, and follows Cloud Strife as he unravels the cause of a mysterious plague called "Geostigma" that has beset the population. With a 100 min running time, 2 documentaries and an OAV included as bonus, this blu-ray is definitely a must have for all fans of the...

25. Mobile Suit Gundam I ~ GUNDAM 30th ANINIVERSARY COLLECTION (Region 2)

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:10:32 -0500

This is where it all began! The original Gundam TV anime started a revolution in narrative 'giant robot' storytelling, with a cast of bold, realistically human characters and robots that obeyed (at least internally consistent) laws of physics. Names since enshrined in legend: Amuro, Char, Fraw Bow, Ramba Ral, Zeon, Zaku, and of course the Mobile Suit Gundam itself all star in this compilation film that takes the best of the original TV animated series and puts it on display with updated and...