Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (漁港の肉子ちゃん, Gyokō no Nikuko-chan) is a 2021 theatrical anime film based on the novel of the same name written by Kanako Nishi. The adaptation is directed by Ayumu Watanabe and produced by Studio 4°C. Staff credits also include writer Satomi Ooshima, character designer Kenichi Konishi, and music composed by Takatsugu Muramatsu. The film was first released theatrically in Japan in June 2021.
Background:
“From acclaimed director Ayumu Watanabe and STUDIO4°C comes a heartwarming and moving comedy-drama with touches of magical realism. Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is about an unconventional family and the bonds that they share in their sleepy seaside town.
Brash single mother Nikuko is well-known for her bold spirit, much to the embarrassment of Kikuko, her pensive yet imaginative daughter. In contrast to her mother, Kikuko wants nothing more than to fit in as she navigates the everyday social dramas of middle school. Life in the harbor is peaceful until a shocking revelation from the past threatens to uproot the pair’s tender relationship.”
Plot Synopsis via Anime Limited, September 2023.
I feel like Studio 4°C is a pretty underrated studio in Japan, because a lot of their projects are very interesting but most don’t talk about them often other than their adaptation of Berserk Golden Age Arc. The last two films I had watched from their catalogue were Children of the Sea and Memories. The latter was part of a special collaboration but they animated both Magnetic Rose and Cannon Fodder, the former of which was stunning. Children of the Sea, which was directed by Ayumu Watanabe (who also directed a few anime shows including After the Rain, Summer Time Rendering and Mysterious Girlfriend X), was even more incredible with its animation and character design, so it’s interesting to see what both the director and animation studio had in store for their next project which was Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko.
Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko carries over the director’s unique animation styles but rather than focus on the fantasy or darker themes the former had, here we have a film focused on family with some elements of romance and drama, so I am very interested to see how this all holds up together.
Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko was first licensed by GKIDS for theatrical and home video but they decided to not provide an English dub compared to the other recent films they picked up like Ayumu Watanabe’s previous film Children of the Sea. Anime Limited eventually brought the film over for the UK & Ireland which was included in the Scotland Loves Anime 2021 film festival followed by a small nationwide theatrical release in 2022.
Collector’s Edition Contents:
Anime Limited is a fan of Ayumu Watanabe and STUDIO4°C so it’s no surprise they were able to receive some assets for Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko and offer a collector’s edition package.
The package is presented as a rigid box housing an Amaray case that includes the Blu-ray disc. Also included with the set is a 12-page booklet, a poster, and five art cards. The booklet features an article written by Shelley Pallis going over 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 expected to follow suit later.
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
- 12-page booklet
- Poster
- 5 Art Cards
On-Disc Contents:
Distributor: Anime Limited
Released: 4th September 2023 (AllTheAnime store), 18th September 2023 (Retailers)
The collector’s edition release for Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko contains the film on a single Blu-ray disc, with the encode and authoring produced by GKIDS. The audio options available are Japanese with English and Spanish subtitles, as no English dub was produced for the film.
The white subtitles are accessible during playback, and the regions are locked to Blu-ray players set to B.
Blu-ray Specs:
| Languages | Japanese |
| Audio | Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 |
| Video | 1080p High Definition Native format 2.39:1 aspect ratio |
| Region | B |
| Subtitles | English, Spanish |
| Locked Subtitles | No |
| Discs | 1 BD-50 |
Blu-ray On-Disc Extra Features:
- Making Of
- Film Completion Press Conference
- Official Premiere Event
- Sanma Akashiya Birthday Event
- Guest Speaker Event
- Trailer
Unboxing Photos:
Final Notes:
Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko 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.)
The Normanic Vault 
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