Pompo: The Cinéphile (Collector’s Edition Blu-ray) Unboxing

Pompo: The Cinéphile (映画大好きポンポさん, Eiga Daisuki Ponpo-san) is a 2021 theatrical anime film based on Shogo Sugitani’s manga of the same name. The adaptation is directed and written by Takayuki Hirao and produced by studio CLAP. Staff credits also include character designer Shingo Adachi, and music composed by Kenta Matsukuma. The film was first released in Japanese theaters in June 2021.

Background:

“Pompo is a talented and gutsy producer in “Nyallywood,” the movie-making capital of the world. Although she’s known for B-movies, one day Pompo tells her movie-loving but apprehensive assistant Gene that he will direct her next script: a delicate drama about a tormented artistic genius, starring the legendary and Brando-esque actor Martin Braddock, and a young actress seeking her first break. But when the production heads towards chaos, can Gene rise to Pompo’s challenge, and succeed as a first-time director?”

Plot Synopsis via Anime Limited, July 2023.

Studio CLAP is another relatively unknown animation studio in Japan that has emerged as of late over the past few years. They have assisted with other studios for a few projects but in general their anime adaptation for Pompo: The Cinéphile marks their first major work, followed by another film adaptation The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes.

What’s notable about Pompo: The Cinéphile is that it’s all about film and cinema, which is a great concept in itself. There’s only a few anime that I can recall that had cinema as one of its main themes; both Eizouken and Shirobako were mainly focused on anime production, and Millennium Actress focused on acting (though Kon’s Paprika did have a few scenes related to cinema which was cool). I’ve not had the chance to watch Pompo prior, but I was aware of the positive reception it had received all around and even Anime Limited, who licensed the film, love it as much.

Speaking of which, Anime Limited licensed Pompo: The Cinéphile back in 2021 when they included the film across two UK focused film festivals; Scotland Loves Anime and We Love Anime, the latter of which was a smaller line-up but spread across different cities in England. Eventually the film saw a proper theatrical release in 2022 before its home video release finally appearing in 2023. GKIDS licensed the film for North America and released it for theatrical and home video much earlier.

Collector’s Edition Contents:

Considering Pompo: The Cinéphile is a fan favourite of sorts over at Anime Limited, it makes sense they want to provide a collector’s edition to celebrate the film for what it is.

The package is presented as a rigid box housing a Amaray case that includes the Blu-ray disc. Also included with the set is a 52-page booklet, which features interviews, character artwork, and background information about the film.

The artwork is free of any information or BBFC content and the info sheet covers the information and specification like previous Anime Limited releases. The collector’s edition Blu-ray set is limited to 1000 units for SRP £39.99. A standard Blu-ray is planned to be released a few months after the release of this edition.

I pre-ordered my copy through Anime Limited’s store during their early bird sale at £24.99 but using their membership discount for £22.49.

Physical Contents:

• Rigid Box with Amaray packaging and clean artwork
• Info sheet for specification and BBFC description
• 52-page booklet

On-Disc Contents:

Distributor: Anime Limited
Released: 3rd July 2023

The collector’s edition release for Pompo: The Cinéphile contains the film on a single Blu-ray disc, with the encode and authoring produced by GKIDS. Audio options include Japanese with English & Spanish subtitles and the NYAV Post English dub commissioned by GKIDS. English subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing are also available.

The white subtitles are unlockable during playback, and the regions are locked to Blu-ray players set to B.

Blu-ray Specs:

Languages	English, Japanese
Audio	English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Video	1080p High Definition Native format 1.78:1 aspect ratio
Region	B
Subtitles	English, English HOH, Spanish
Locked Subtitles	No
Discs	1 BD-50

Blu-ray On-Disc Extra Features:

• Audio Commentary by Director and Crew
• Feature-Length Storyboards
• Trailers & Spots
• Character Design Gallery

Unboxing Photos:

Final Notes:

Pompo: The Cinéphile is available to order across multiple retailers in the United Kingdom. The collector’s edition Blu-ray can be acquired through Amazon UK, Anime Limited’s store, MVM’s Anime-on-Line and United Publications.

(Disclaimer: Amazon links are also included when available. They are affiliated so if you decide to order them, I’ll earn a small percentage if they ship which will help me with any hauls or small bills.)