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. The Fuccons: Meet The Fuccons (OH! Mikey!)

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

Meet the Fuccons, a typical 2 1/2 person American family inexplicably transported to the land of the rising sun. Okay, maybe they're not perfect - Dad is a bit stiff and wooden, Mom is plastic and empty headed and Mikey's... well, Mike's just a little dummy. But when it comes to standing firm in the face of this new and alien environment, the family that's made together stays together, and it certainly doesn't hurt that the Fuccons are as thick skinned, rigid and inflexible as they come. This...

4. Ghibli Short Short Special (region 2)

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

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...

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

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

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...

6. Howl's Moving Castle (region 2)

Sun, 02 Sep 2007 12:03:44 -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...

7. Hayao Miyazaki & Ghibli Museum (region 2)

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

A super treat for all Studio Ghibli fans, this is the official DVD celebrating the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo. In addition to offering a wealth of information to serious fans and collectors on how the museum was planned and built, the disc has subtitles in English: that makes is possible for fans of Hayao Miyazaki all over the world to enjoy this amazing documentary on the creation of the Ghibli museum, hear how it was conceived and created, and journey with the camera to Europe to see some...

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

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 19:42:31 -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...

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

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

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

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

11. Castle in the Sky Laputa (region 2)

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 09:19:42 -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...

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

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 09:19:42 -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...

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

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

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. Pythagora Switch DVD Book 1

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

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...

18. The Fuccons Volume 2 (Oh Mikey!)

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

The Fuccons (Japanese title OH! Mikey) originally began as a segment on the Japanese variety show Vermillion Pleasure Night, where it became such a hit that it was spun off into its own TV program (known there as "Oh Mikey!"). At about three minutes an episode, it runs as an interstitial or "bumper" between other programs. The short program has since become one of the biggest phenomena on Japanese TV! The second volume of The Fuccons continues the adventures of Mikey, mother Barbara, father...

19. The Fuccons Volume 3 (Oh Mikey!)

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 08:28:12 -0500

The Fuccons originally began as a segment on the Japanese variety show Vermillion Pleasure Night, where it became such a hit that it was spun off into its own TV program (known there as "Oh Mikey!"). At about three minutes an episode, it runs as an interstitial or "bumper" between other programs. The short program has since become one of the biggest phenomena on Japanese TV! All the fun with Japan's favorite mannequin family continues in this, the third volume of The Fuccons, taking a...

20. YOKO ISHIDA "All of Me" CD + DVD Extra

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 13:35:51 -0500

Yoko Ishida is one of the reigning queens of anime pop having, performed theme songs for a number of anime shows from Ai Yori Aoshi, Sailor Moon, and Ah! My Goddess. Employed by the Hypervoice, she continues till this day, touching the hearts of many fans who may or may not know the face behind the music. For fans of anime music, here's a collection of her works in the "All of Me" album which features: "OPEN YOUR MIND ~ spread the small wings" ~ TV Anime "Ah! My Goddess" OP Theme "Passionate...

21. Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. Trilogy Box (Blu-ray Disc) ~ First Press Limited Edition

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 10:21:47 -0400

The wait is finally over! J-list is happy to present to you Ghost in the Shell in Blu-Ray! This special Limited Edition Trilogy Box is a four Blu-Ray Disc edition that features the titles "The Laughing Man," "Individual Eleven," "Solid State Society," and a Bonus Disc which includes tons of extras such as "Section 9 Science Files," "Work world File Solid State Society," "Anime+ Car Design - Designing the Future Cars," "Making of Tachikoma Robot," and more. As part of the limited edition...

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

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 01:01:42 -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...

23. Ketchup Mania - Greetings from Tokyo

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:25:04 -0400

Ketchup mania's new CD "F.L.A.G" comes out this month and I always think of "Greetings from Tokyo" as the first CD where everything clicked into place to give them the momentum they have right now. If you're lucky enough to catch their live shows in the USA or Japan, be on the lookout for "Girl's Mind," "Free Style" and "Namida Vacuum Sound." Girl's Mind Bes-Posi NAMIDA - Vacuum Sound Today Only Today Chapter One Free Style? Sun Flower Your World Candle on the Birthday Cake Jingle Berry Crazy...

24. Anime Pop Star: YOKO ISHIDA Live in Concert DVD (Live Action)

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:25:04 -0400

Yoko Ishida Live in Concert! Where there's hot anime music, there's eneregentic dance grooves and with both, you'll find Anime-Pop star Yoko Ishida ready to blow the roof off with another commanding and awe-inspiring vocal performance! Get a front row seat for an up-close look at an extraordinary anime event: Yoko Ishida Live in Concert! Filmed at the height of Yoko's first major overseas tour, which swept through the east and west cost cities, Yoko is at the peak here in this rare outdoor...

25. Swinging Popsicle - GO ON

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:25:04 -0400

"Swinging Popsicle" is pure gold in music form. This band plays pop music in amazing fashion with incredible vocals, tasty guitar work and catchy song writing. This is their album "Go On" which includes a track list of eleven feel good songs. Visit their official website or Myspace webpage for great samplers! Rainbounds Clash Stay by my side Kanashii Shirabe Friends Again Chocolate Soul Music Nothing's gonna change my world Zanzou to noise I will * My Will Amaoto ~ I wish you were here ~ Go On...