The Normanic Vault

Otaku Collection Haul for December 2025

Welcome to the Otaku Collection haul for the month of December 2025. This update features 36 anime releases, 20 manga volumes, 2 physical video games, 6 digital video games and 15 live-action Asian Cinema releases, plus 2 other live-action releases.

For this haul, Anime Limited shipped out most of their pre-orders, Discotek & Sentai sets arrived at the last minute, and we have a batch of new Asian Cinema releases from various distributors on top of the Christmas haul.

Shawscope Volume 4

We start off this month’s haul with another massive box set, this time it’s from Arrow Video as they continue the Shaw Brothers releases with Shawscope Volume 4, consisting of 16 films focusing on the theme of horror, fantasy and strange stuff. This was probably my most anticipated release of the year and the reason was because a number of the films included here were previously released by 88 Films and had since gone out of print. It’s also a horror box set which includes one or two Category III rated films.

The films included below are the ones previously released by 88 Films that are now back and restored in 2K by Arrow:

  • The Super Inframan (中國超人), directed by Hua Shan, 1975
  • The Oily Maniac (油鬼子), directed by Ho Meng-Hua, 1976
  • Black Magic (降頭), directed by Ho Meng-Hua, 1975
  • Black Magic Part 2 (勾魂降頭), directed by Ho Meng-Hua, 1976
  • Hex (邪), directed by Kuei Chih-Hung, 1980
  • Bewitched (蠱), directed by Kuei Chih-Hung, 1981
  • Seeding of a Ghost (種鬼), directed by Yang Chuan, 1983

The films included below are new and also restored in 2K by Arrow:

  • The Battle Wizard (天龍八部), directed by Pao Hsueh-Li, 1977
  • Hex vs Witchcraft (邪鬥邪), directed by Kuei Chih-Hung, 1980
  • Hex After Hex (邪完再邪), directed by Kuei Chih-Hung, 1982
  • Bat Without Wings (無翼蝙蝠), directed by Chor Yuen, 1980
  • Bloody Parrot (血鸚鵡), directed by Hua Shan, 1981
  • The Fake Ghost Catchers (鬼畫符), directed by Lau Kar-Wing, 1982
  • Demon of the Lute (六指琴魔), directed by Tang Tak-Cheung, 1983
  • Portrait in Crystal (水晶人), directed by Hua Shan, 1983
  • Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (星際鈍胎), directed by Alex Cheung, 1983

The set itself was very similar to the previous three volumes, though the main difference is that there’s no soundtrack CD this time around. We do have a bonus Blu-ray disc that comes with a lot of the trailers and essays for various films. As far as I’m aware I think Arrow Video had the rights to enough films to make at least four volumes, so I have no clue if they plan to do any more. I hope they continue the line because these are the best way to release these films and keep it compact for the shelf.

Devilman Crybaby

Science SARU’s 2018 adaptation of the Devilman story finally landed on home video from Anime Limited. Devilman Crybaby was really good and I’m happy to finally own it with the Netflix dub as well if I ever decide to rewatch the series. The box set was very similar to the Japanese release but without the Vinyls and size wise was identical to Blue Giant‘s collector’s edition.

To Sleep So As To Dream

A few months ago I picked up the Maiku Hama Trilogy box set and when that release was announced I remembered about To Sleep So As To Dream (夢みるように眠りたい), Kaizô Hayashi’s 1986 film which was pretty much the film that greatly helped support his career in film. It’s from the noir genre and Arrow Video released it a few years ago (very likely would have been part of the Academy range had they kept the label) but as time has passed, it’s eventually been reprinted so I decided to go onto eBay and secure the first print edition that included the booklet. I managed to locate one for a good price and in very good condition as well.

Perfect Blue 4K Ultra HD

We are back in the world of Perfect Blue, Satoshi Kon’s 1997 thriller classic and this time it has been restored on 4K so Anime Limited released it on 4K Ultra HD. Because they had already released the film as a collector’s edition, a steelbook edition and an ultimate edition, we now have a deluxe edition.

It is a bizarre release though because the truth is – this release is pointless for you if you don’t yet own a 4K Ultra HD player. The Blu-ray disc is the same as the one used in the 2019 Ultimate Edition release, so do keep that in mind if you’re debating on getting this release, as I know most consumers prefer to own combo packs and other distributors often use the latest restoration on the Blu-ray disc for consistency. Other than that it’s a nice release and the 4K transfer looks very good. The Ultimate Edition is much better in terms of the physical contents but this is like my third copy of the film at this point so I think we’ve reached the limit on what else Anime Limited could provide for this film at this point.

Terracotta December Pre-Order Haul

Last November I pre-ordered three big releases from the Asian Cinema scene via the Terracotta Store, which arrived in December as two of them were not due until that month (the other actually released in November). As I received a ton of new releases, this haul pretty much focused on the latest from Arrow Video, Eureka Entertainment and Radiance Films.

Starting off with Ringo Lam’s 1987 film City on Fire (龍虎風雲) on 4K Ultra HD. This is a huge release because it’s the first of many Golden Princess titles that Arrow Video licensed from Shout! Factory for the UK and while there’s been some discussions over how the North American release was handled (for example the subtitles), the UK release does have additional care to make sure everyone is happy. The limited edition set comes with a slipcase and booklet.

Next, from Eureka Entertainment, is the Triple Threat: Three Films with Sammo Hung collection. It’s been well over five years since we last saw a multi-film pack of Sammo Hung films from the distributor so here we have a few more that starred the actor in this collection; Wu Mai’s 1974 film The Manchu Boxer (七省拳王), Alfred Cheung’s 1988 film Paper Marriage (過埠新娘) and Teddy Robin’s 1990 film Shanghai, Shanghai (亂世兒女).

Now what makes this limited edition stand out is a bonus Blu-ray disc that features extended international versions for both The Manchu Boxer and Shanghai, Shanghai, which won’t be included in the standard edition. It is rather uncommon for these to happen but I made sure to get this set sooner than later.

Then we have the limited edition Blu-ray for Radical Japan: Cinema and State – Nine Films by Nagisa Ōshima from Radiance Films. I’ve been familiar with his work on Cruel Story of Youth (which Eureka previously released), In the Realm of the Senses (currently available from Criterion) and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (currently available from Arrow Video), but never owned any of them so this box set will be my first introduction.

The films included are as follows:

  • The Catch (飼育), 1961.
  • Yunbogi’s Diary (ユンボギの日記), 1965.
  • Death by Hanging (絞死刑), 1968.
  • Diary of a Shinjuku Thief (新宿泥棒日記), 1969.
  • Boy (少年), 1969.
  • The Man Who Left His Will on Film (東京战争戦後秘話), 1970.
  • The Ceremony (儀式), 1971.
  • Dear Summer Sister (夏の妹), 1972.
  • 100 Years of Japanese Cinema (百年日本映画), 1995.

Just like previous Radiance Films limited edition box sets, this one is also housed in a rigid box with three Scanavo cases to house the films across seven Blu-rays. The book included in this set features various essays and interviews about the films.

88 Films Haul

So this is an amusing one. On a random day, 88 Films decided to release a discount code for a day using the word “boobs” which offered 25% off which also supported pre-orders. This was a good opportunity for me to order the few releases that I needed before the year was over that I had yet to own.

Starting off with Takashi Miike’s 2014 film Over Your Dead Body (喰女 ―クイメ―), released as part of the Japanarchy collection in a limited edition Blu-ray set that includes clean artwork and booklet. This film was previously released in North America under Shout! Factory which went out of print so this was a nice re-release for the US audience. I also appreciate that 88 Films is branching out to include more modern Japanese films especially from Takashi Miike’s catalogue so I’m hoping they’ll get more of the director’s works.

Next we have Tōru Murakawa’s 1972 film Playful White Fingers (白い指の戯れ), also known as Delicate Skillful Fingers, released as part of the Nikkatsu Roman Porno collection in a limited edition Blu-ray set that includes clean artwork and booklet. I believe this is the final film from their recent batch of Japanese pink films so I don’t know if there will be any more at this point.

Then we have a continuation to the Yuen Biao releases with Lam Nai-Choi’s 1989 film Saga of the Phoenix (阿修羅), the sequel to his 1988 film Peacock King which are both based on the Japanese manga series. I have heard this one is not as popular as the other director’s works but I just find it amusing that we managed to get over half of his catalogue released from 88 Films in the past half-decade. I have enjoyed his works so far so I look forward to seeing how this one turns out. This deluxe collector’s edition includes a nice box with a slipcase, booklet and art card.

Terracotta Third Window Sale Haul

Terracotta Store also ran their own sale which featured a good number of releases from distributor Third Window Films. Third Window bring a lot of interesting films from Japan and there were only a few left for me to own all of their retail Blu-ray releases (the only one I don’t own was their kickstarter release).

The three that I needed were Gakuryu Ishii’s 2024 film The Box Man (箱男), which was one of the newest films from the director known for punk style releases under his previous name Sogo Ishii, Arthur Harari’s 2021 film Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle, a French war drama film featuring a Japanese cast and the director is also known for co-writing the Palme d’Or winning film Anatomy of a Fall which I thought was an interesting fact, and Lim Kah-Wai’s 2022 film Your Lovely Smile (あなたの微笑み), from a director I haven’t heard before but he’s from Malaysia and has worked in the Japanese film industry for a good decade.

With this, and the Angel Guts Collection pre-ordered, I have all 96-97 of their films. I’ve admittedly only seen about half of them but many of them are hidden gems and worth checking out.

Shogun’s Samurai: The Yagyu Clan’s Conspiracy

Because the Third Window haul didn’t reach the free shipping threshold, I also remembered that I had yet to pick up another recent Eureka Entertainment title that released last November.

And that film was Kinji Fukasaku’s 1978 film Shogun’s Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy (柳生一族の陰謀). This film may sound familiar if you’re in the anime collecting world because this was one of the first films to be released by Discotek Media under their live-action label Nihon Nights. I never bothered to import that title because I figured it had a pretty high chance of being brought over here and the wait paid off since Eureka got their hands on it with the same 4K restoration. The Masters of Cinema release includes a slipcase and booklet for its limited edition release.

Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!

Moving over to Anime Limited with a surprise early release (or a delay that ended up moving forward on the schedule) with Science SARU’s adaptation for Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! by director Masaaki Yuasa. I really enjoyed watching this anime series when it aired and I felt it warranted the collector’s treatment but I didn’t expect Anime Limited would end up bringing over Sentai Filmworks’ premium edition for the UK. It’s a big box with a lot of stuff so I had to move it to the top of my shelf as it didn’t have a title on the spine.

Ghost Ship & Seven Seas Scifier Haul

I figured it was also time to sort out another Scifier order to grab more manga volumes from Seven Seas and their mature label Ghost Ship.

Starting off with a single new volume for both 2.5 Dimensional Seduction Volume 13 and The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Volume 16 for different reasons. The former has the next volume not in stock and I didn’t want to order the rest as I like to order in chronological order whenever possible. And the latter is the latest volume released in English which is simple enough. And then we have a brand new series joining the collection which is Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! Omnibus 1 (covering Vols. 1 & 2), I really loved the anime and this Shonen Jump+ manga series has concluded its run in Japan so there won’t be too many omnibus releases to grab for this series.

Also picked up Hitomi-chan is Shy with Strangers Volumes 8, 9 & 10. This romance manga series also recently concluded in Japan so there’s only around two volumes left before I have completed the series. One is available whilst the final volume is out sometime next year. Surprised it hasn’t received an anime adaptation yet.

And because it’s been a while, wrapping up the haul is Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls Volumes 17, 18 & 19. I was initially up-to-date on the English volumes and then it was in limbo for a few years from both Japan and on Seven Seas’ end. Then out of nowhere the English releases started continuing its run like a year ago. This haul has pretty much all of the ones that were recently released other than Volume 20 which is now available, but from there it will be a while before the next one is released in print.

Anime Limited Pre-Orders Finally Arriving

So I had to attend a work trip at one point and when I returned home, a lot of Anime Limited pre-orders finally arrived, some of which should have been released earlier in the year.

The Bleach collection continues with Parts 5 & 9 from Anime Limited in their limited edition Blu-ray sets! Yep that’s right, I FINALLY have my hands on Part 5 which was trapped by the delayed release of I’m Standing on a Million Lives so I didn’t own it back in May like everyone else did. I also only noticed just now that some of these parts have the BBFC on the cover and others don’t, rather amusing inconsistency there.

Also worth noting that Part 5 wraps up the Set 1 box and Part 9 wraps up the Set 2 box, so we’ll have Set 3 (Part 10) and Parts 11-13 to conclude the original anime series run sometime in the first half of next year. I can technically start the anime now but I want to wait for the rest to be released first. Each limited edition includes a slipcase and three cards.

Next we have Call of the Night Season 1, the romance vampire series that has been on my radar to watch for quite sometime and was a good choice to own the collector’s edition since we have the booklet from Sentai’s premium edition release. I also didn’t realise that Creepy Nuts did the theme songs for this season which was interesting to discover, and also had no idea the author of this manga also wrote Dagashi Kashi so this will be fun.

I am very happy to own Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, which I consider to be one of the best anime released in the past half-decade. It’s a great sci-fi series and also helped bring me back to listening to HEALTH again (speaking of which their new album CONFLICT DLC is out and it’s really good). I haven’t started the game yet and this anime was well-worth owning the collector’s set in my opinion. The UK release does have better audio than the Aniplex release but there’s a debate about the video quality due to the various language tracks on the disc.

The first season of DANDADAN also makes an appearance and I really enjoyed this anime. I was surprised that I didn’t check out the manga series when Viz Media released them because I would have been hooked right away. It’s also a bizarre series and because of its wackiness, having Science SARU adapt the story worked really well. The second season has yet to be released on home video by GKIDS but given how fast this one turned out for them I reckon we’ll get it by Spring time. Anime Limited’s release does have a bit more to the packaging though the glow in the dark effect is so-so.

And last but certainly not the least for me is I’m Standing on a Million Lives Seasons 1 & 2 collection which I think will be up there as one of the best collector’s editions Anime Limited has released this past year. A bold statement but let’s go over why.

In Japan, both seasons were released together as a Blu-ray Disc Box set by Warner Bros Japan and Anime Limited pretty much replicated everything over (but with an Amaray case instead of a digipack, and 3 discs instead of 2) and that includes the bonus manga chapters translated into English. The discs were also done by VDMS which re-uses the Crunchyroll font style and also has the second season which has yet to be released by Crunchyroll over in North America on Blu-ray. Considering Sentai was supposed to release this I think we got a best case scenario so overall the long wait paid off.

This isekai series has a lot of flack and the animation isn’t top-tier but I do think its worth a watch (or even go with the standard Blu-ray when it lands on sale) if you’re a fan of the genre. It’s got a very interesting concept and I would be down for more seasons, so thankfully Kodansha Comics have been releasing it in English.

Splendid Outing

It’s very rare I would say to see Korean films released on home video these days so it was a surprise to see Radiance Films pick up a late 70s South Korean film for their line-up with Splendid Outing (화려한 외출), Kim Soo-yong’s 1978 film, starring Yoon Jeong-hee (Poetry) and Lee Dae-geun (Insect Woman). Out of the ones that got released in December, this film was the only one that I didn’t pre-order in advance so I bought a copy at my local HMV store. This print run is at 2500 which is lower than others so I expect this to sell out a bit faster than others.

Christmas 2025 Haul

Another year means another Christmas haul of pickups. Keeping the theme like before that involves a mix of everything, though there’s no European Cinema this time around.

For anime we have My Hero Academia: You’re Next, the latest film in the franchise. This was released last November in the UK whereas North America received a Blu-ray last April from TOHO. I’ve not yet seen the previous film so I’ll look into watching the two back to back.

For video games, two physical releases for PlayStation 5. The first is Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots developed by Bandai Namco who were able to use Sony’s IP. This didn’t get as much positive reception as the previous games but always good to have more from this franchise.

Also received Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered developed by Crystal Dynamics & Aspyr, which includes the 1999 PlayStation game Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, the 2000 PlayStation game Tomb Raider: Chronicles and the 2003 PlayStation 2 game Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness. I actually remember the latter the most because of the ‘Angel of Darkness’ song being played on music channels back in the day.

For Asian Cinema, we have Criterion’s UK release for A Confucian Confusion (獨立時代) & Mahjong (麻將), two films by Taiwanese director Edward Yang released in 1994 & 1996. I own his other more commonly known films A Brighter Summer Day and Yi Yi but not yet seen them (especially as one of them is getting a 4K Ultra HD release pretty soon). These films were also restored in 4K but only released on Blu-ray. Also comes included with a booklet too.

Also received The Rapacious Jailbreaker (脱獄広島殺人囚) from Japanese director Sadao Nakajima released in 1974. This was distributed by Radiance Films and has been on my radar to pickup for the past half-year and now finally got it. Nakajima also has the Japanese Godfather Trilogy coming soon in the coming months which I’m also looking forward to watching. The limited edition Blu-ray release includes Scanavo packaging, reversible cover and a booklet.

For manga, we have a new series joining the collection with Dogsred Volumes 1-2 from Golden Kamuy author Satoru Noda, released in English by Viz Media as part of their Viz SIGNATURE label. It’s an ice hockey series with the same vibe that the author has done to Golden Kamuy and has been doing pretty well so far with seven volumes already released and counting in Japan for Weekly Young Jump, the same magazine that serialises The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You and Kingdom.

Also received another new manga series for the collection with Kagurabachi Volumes 1-3 from author Takeru Hokazono, released in English by Viz Media as part of their Shonen Jump label as it’s also released in Japan under their Weekly Shonen Jump. This action series has been on my radar for quite sometime and is looking to be one of the next big series to get even more attention as more and more Shonen Jump titles are concluding.

From this point these are extra gifts that I wouldn’t know about in advance (or at least weren’t on my list). The first is a new book that isn’t part of any of my collection as its outside of that territory but has a similar vibe to the isekai genre – Dungeon Crawler Carl written by Matt Dinniman. It’s gotten positive reviews, a TV adaptation in the works and the premise is similar to various light novels involving getting dragged into a video game world so I’ll give it a read.

And yes I have received chocolates as well. More on the healthier types to avoid gaining too much weight for the next week.

Last but not least is another surprise gift. A nice poster frame on Shangri-la Frontier. Full disclosure this was custom made but looked nice and happy to have it on the shelf. I did find the source and I’m glad this one is at least using official illustrated artwork so it aged better for my room. Shangri-la Frontier is a really solid fantasy VRMMO series from Kodansha if you have yet to give it a try in anime or manga form.

Travelling Man Viz Media Haul

I haven’t been picking up any manga from retailer Travelling Man for the past while and part of the reason was due to not having the volumes that I had wanted. I had a good number of funds saved from the various store hauls in the past year on the store card, and I figured I may as well use them up in case they expire for whatever reason.

After having a look at my shelf I wanted to focus on JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean so I picked up Volumes 3, 5, 6, 8 & 9 all at once, but they didn’t have Volumes 4 & 7 so I’ll have to get those later. As it’s a 3 for 2 deal on the manga I also picked Fist of the North Star Volume 6 as I also hadn’t been picking up those volumes in ages and at this point that series has just finished its English run (at around 18 volumes).

This haul did create an unintended side effect with my collection. These volumes were placed on the back row at the bottom of the main shelves because of their height and there’s now less room! Miraculously I do have a plan in place which I’d mentioned in the latest Complete Otaku Collection update post so there will be more room to keep things going for a bit longer.

F1 & Weapons

The reason for the previous haul and this haul was because I was visiting York to watch Marty Supreme at the Picturehouse Cinema, and after I watched that film I visited the HMV store and bought two newer films that were on offer from their 2 for £40 range on the 4K Ultra HD format. Both I have watched at the cinema via IMAX format earlier this year.

F1 is Joseph Kosinski’s latest film starring Brad Pitt (Bullet Train), Damson Idris (Snowfall), Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin) and Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men). While the story is fairly simple, the racing work is really good and was overall an entertaining film from start to finish.

Weapons is Zach Cregger’s latest film starring Julia Garner (The Fantastic Four: First Steps), Josh Brolin (Wake Up Dead Man), Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story), Austin Abrams (Euphoria) and Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange). Going into the film mostly blind was the best way to experience the film especially how people reacted to Barbarian, his previous work. It’s a mystery horror with a batshit insane ending and a great narrative structure.

Discotek Media End-Of-Year Haul

We have now reached the end of the year hauls which came from North America. This haul, and the one after, need a bit of explaining as to why we have so many anime arriving at the same time. Back in November I ordered a couple of Discotek Media releases from Crunchyroll’s Store thanks to their Black Friday sale and it was also that timeframe where if you want to own Discotek releases you should do it sooner due to back order issues. At the same time I also ordered a couple of Sentai Filmworks releases from Sentai’s Store from their own Black Friday sale. The plan was to consolidate these two and ship them in time so they arrive before Christmas. The plan backfired because USPS took too long with the Sentai package, effectively going into limbo for weeks with no sign of movement. I wasn’t the only one on this as other Blu-ray forum members had similar problems with their Black Friday hauls.

So I decided, since Sentai also runs their Holiday Sale hauls, I would sort out another order to have the Sentai packages be together given they would take time which would arrive for January, and figure out something else for Discotek Media as I was motivated to get more of their releases and ensure that the first package that arrived is shipped out before the deadline (you can keep your packages up to a certain amount of days for clarity).

The challenge is that back orders are notorious for taking too long with Crunchyroll’s Store and I don’t want to wait months for them to come back because it doesn’t guarantee they will come back in print. Therefore I placed an order with Robert’s Anime Corner Store, which I have used before but this time I wanted them shipped to Stackry which thankfully they were perfectly fine with and they arrived in a box. I also found an opportunity to grab one expensive and annoying “not out of print but technically is” release to join the mix.

And then just as I had those sorted, the Sentai packages managed to arrive at the same time so pretty much I had five packages. Rather than consolidating them into two packages, I got some advice from a fellow Anime UK News member and consolidated all five together and used a discount code to keep the fees down. Miraculously they arrived before the year ended. Would I do this again? No because having tons of anime at once is not good for the people around you especially if I was away for work.

So with the context out of the way, let’s go over the Discotek Media haul! This is my 5th 2025 haul for the distributor after the February, April, June and September batches. In 2024 I ran these bimonthly and whilst I’m fairly close to catching up (plus MediaOCD Store supporting newer releases) I may bring back the bimonthly model just to get many of the older titles that I want out of the way so that I can focus on other things.

Blue Comet SPT Layzner

1985 original television anime series by studio Sunrise, chief director Ryōsuke Takahashi and writer Tsunehisa Itō. Blue Comet SPT Layzner is one of Sunrise’s classic robot mecha shows from back in the 80s airing around the same time as Dirty Pair and Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ and the director Takahashi is known for his work on other Sunrise works including Armored Trooper VOTOMS and Ronin Warriors so this was on my radar. Remastered in HD as well and includes the OVAs. Discotek Media released the series on Blu-ray in December 2023.

Giant Gorg

1984 original television anime series by studio Sunrise, chief director Yoshikazu Yasuhiko and writers Masaki Tsuji and Yumiko Tsukamoto. I’m more familiar with Giant Gorg because Discotek Media did release the series on DVD back in 2015 and the art style is iconic due to Yasuhiko’s work on the Gundam franchise. A while back it was also remastered in HD and Discotek Media finally managed to upgrade the series onto the Blu-ray format. In Japan the series aired in-between Sunrise’s Heavy Metal L-Gaim and Panzer World Galient. Discotek Media released the series on Blu-ray in November 2024.

Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid

1975 theatrical anime film by studio Toei Animation, director Tomoharu Katsumata and writers Ikuko Oyabu and Mieko Osanai based on the classic Hans Christian Andersen story. I’ve been intrigued by Toei’s take on The Little Mermaid for a while and heard it was a cult classic of sorts in the anime scene so when Discotek upgraded the film onto Blu-ray from their 2015 DVD release I wanted to get my hands on it for ages but the opportunity wasn’t there. Now it’s here! Discotek Media released the film on Blu-ray in March 2024.

Lovely Complex

2007 television anime series by studio Toei Animation and series director Kōnosuke Uda, based on Aya Nakahara’s manga series Love*Com. This shoujo series saw a bit of a revived attention a few years ago when it was revealed that Sound Cadence would be dubbing the series as it was a favourite of theirs. Though there were some controversies surrounding the dub, in general it was pretty well-received from what I read. This was also one of Discotek’s earliest licenses from 2013 on DVD and to see it still in print especially from Toei was a surprise. Discotek Media released the series on Blu-ray in January 2024.

Lupin the Third TV Specials

Based on Monkey Punch’s manga series, we have more television specials from the Lupin the Third franchise. We have the 2004 16th special Swallowtail Tattoo from director Hidehito Ueda, the 2008 20th special Sweet Lost Night from director Tetsuro Amino, the 2012 23rd special The Secret Page of Marco Polo from director Hajime Kamegaki, and 2013 24th special Princess of the Breeze from director Takaomi Kawasaki. With this batch this leaves me with one release left to get that’s on Blu-ray as the remaining specials are currently DVD only and have yet to be re-released onto Blu-ray by Discotek Media.

Of this lot, the rarest was Swallowtail Tattoo because it was delisted from all retailers despite not being labelled as an out of print release, and it seems this is part of Discotek’s current model of basically saying “it’s not gone but we ain’t reprinting it or labelling it as out of print” which has impacted a couple other titles. Not a good look but this is probably their way of trying to tone down scalpers from eating up the remaining stock. Discotek Media released Lupin the Third: Swallowtail Tattoo on Blu-ray in March 2023, Lupin the Third: Sweet Lost Night on Blu-ray in January 2024, and both Lupin the Third: Princess of the Breeze and Lupin the Third: The Secret Page of Marco Polo on Blu-ray separately in July 2024.

Urusei Yatsura 1981 Series & 1987 OVA Series

The highlight of the haul is owning the entirety of the classic Urusei Yatsura series! Rumiko Takahashi’s classic manga was first adapted in 1981-1986 as a television anime series by Studio Pierrot (up to episode 106) with director Mamoru Oshii and Studio Deen (from episode 107 onwards) with director Kazuo Yamazaki. While the series did receive various films which I have picked up already a few years back, there’s also a bunch of OVAs released in 1987-1991 by Studio Deen and director Kazuo Yamazaki (with studio Magic Bus and director Setsuko Shibuichi assisting for a few episodes). AnimEigo released these on DVD decades ago and were pretty sought after, but Discotek Media were able to license all of it for Blu-ray, though they were only allowed to keep it subtitled only and only use the AnimEigo translation to my recollection. No extras allowed either, but at least the series is accessible again. Discotek Media released the TV series across four collections on Blu-ray in April 2023, July 2023, October 2023, and January 2024, with the OVA series released as one collection on Blu-ray in July 2024.

Sentai Filmworks End-Of-Year Haul

The second part of the final package are two batches of orders from Sentai Filmworks, one from their Black Friday sale and another from their Holiday sale. The difference between the two are more releases available to choose from with the latter. As mentioned, the Black Friday haul ended up in limbo for ages and I ordered another to have the two consolidated and shipped for January, but instead the delayed package managed to appear and the others all arrived on time.

So the goal for this haul was a combination of catching up on a few newer titles that I had my eye on whilst also securing a few older titles that were recently re-released in recent years especially because a couple did eventually discontinue (for example Demon King Daimao and Heaven’s Memo Pad are both no longer available).

We’re going to start off with the newer anime shows that have aired over the past few years.

The cover art for Bibliophile Princess always caught my eye and since I don’t often pick up romance of this setting I figured I’ll pick it up when it went on sale. As the title suggests it’s about a girl who loves books and been engaged to the prince for a long period of time. The anime aired in October 2022 and was adapted by studio Madhouse (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End).

Next we have the fantasy series Level 1 Demon Lord and One Room Hero which also caught my eye by its premise, of a retired hero having to deal with a demon lord now living in his one-room apartment. There’s no doubt going to be fanservice as well given the character designs. The anime aired in July 2023 and was adapted by studios Silver Link and Blade (Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable!).

Ever since My Next Life as a Villainess we had seen a whole bunch of new anime adaptations related to villainess characters as a protagonist for the isekai genre and one of those was The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior which will also be receiving a second season in 2026. The premise for this one is essentially avoiding their fate by trying to change the choices made in the past just like the others in this sub-genre, but as long as it’s entertaining that’s what matters. The anime aired in July 2023 and was adapted by studio OLM’s Team Yoshioka (Odd Taxi).

Another fantasy series and a reverse isekai! Plus-Sized Elf, also known as Ms. Elf Can’t Lose Weight, is a short-length series about a massage therapist protagonist interacting with characters from another world who are very curvy or chubby. It’s a very acquired taste but a man of culture taste I would say. Being serious I am a fan of Synecdoche, the manga author, and their art style. I discovered the manga when it first started and kept my eye on it since. The anime didn’t receive particularly well but there’s an English dub at least and the Blu-ray is uncensored. The anime aired in July 2024 and was adapted by studio Elias (Yandere Dark Elf: She Chased Me All the Way From Another World!).

Next we have Spy Classroom, a series that reminds me of Princess Principal which follows a group of girls with guns. The anime did have some critiques over its adaptation structure with the first seven episodes being out of order and slower-paced (plus adapting a short story alongside the main light novels) but after that point I read that it improves. The anime aired in January & July 2023 across two seasons and was adapted by studio Feel (Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle).

Vermeil in Gold: The Failing Student and the Strongest Scourge Plunge Into the World of Magic which is a very long title, no doubt caught my attention let’s be honest. Another fantasy series in a school setting but honestly haven’t seen much of these as of late even though there’s always more of them airing each season. The anime did well enough for Sentai Filmworks to also release a Steelbook Edition which is what I went for. I generally don’t go for steelbooks unless the price is right and the value is there, but it was on sale for $5 more than the regular edition so I figured why not. The booklet also includes an original short story. The anime aired in July 2022 and was adapted by studio Staple Entertainment (Tales of Wedding Rings).

Next we have two re-releases that have slipcases which is uncommon for Sentai to release but I may as well get them whilst they are still available.

The first is a series that I wanted to watch way back when it first aired but wasn’t available in the UK and that was Amagi Brilliant Park. It is pretty surreal to finally be able to watch this now that I have it on Blu-ray, of course the series has been on Blu-ray in the UK for a while under Manga Entertainment but I was expecting Anime Limited to rescue the license given the studio and author involved but it’s been so long that I may as well get Sentai’s re-release which would have a newly authored disc as they tend to do. The anime aired in October 2014 and was adapted by studio Kyoto Animation (City the Animation). Sentai’s original Blu-ray was released in February 2017 whilst this new slipcase edition released December 2024.

Another big addition to my collection is the classic Vampire Hunter D. I watched the film Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust years ago when Anime Limited released it, but somehow this OVA never saw a re-release all this time. Sentai has had the license for so long and I’m surprised it’s still in print. This does have a different dub produced instead of bringing back the classic one due to various factors though. The anime released in December 1985 and was adapted by studio Ashi Productions (An Observation Log of My Fiancée Who Calls Herself a Villainess). Sentai’s original Blu-ray was released in August 2015 whilst this new slipcase edition released August 2025.

And we have even more re-releases to go over. Some of these were released by Sentai very early on so it was a good thing that I added them to his haul sooner.

Remember Heavenly Delusion? Well another series made by the original author was adapted years ago and is now back in print! And Yet the Town Moves is going to be a pretty interesting watch not just because of its wacky premise but also due to the staff involved in the adaptation. Akiyuki Shinbo chief directed this adaptation around the same time he was working through Bakemonogatari so there’s probably a head tilt somewhere. Katsuhiko Takayama, who’s worked on Baka & Test and The Future Diary, also wrote the script. The anime aired in October 2010 and was adapted by studio Shaft (Virgin Punk: Clockwork Girl). Sentai’s original Blu-ray was released in June 2016 whilst this new edition released September 2025.

Next we have the horror comedy series Re-Kan! which is one that I’ve heard of when it first aired but didn’t really pay any attention to it. Since the series was re-released I decided to give it a shot. The anime aired in April 2015 and was adapted by studio Pierrot Plus (Magical Girl Ore). Sentai’s original Blu-ray was released in October 2016 whilst this new edition released August 2025.

Sunday Without God was also another series I knew about beforehand but upon reading the synopsis it actually sounds pretty decent and for the same reasons as Re-Kan! I wanted to check it out before it would eventually discontinue. The anime aired in July 2013 and was adapted by studio Madhouse (Trillion Game). Sentai’s original Blu-ray was released in October 2014 whilst this new edition released April 2021.

Then we have a film series in a similar format to Broken Blade with Towanoquon, also known as Towa no Quon, which I knew only by its cover art but it had always intrigued me ever since. Miraculously it came back into print so I knew from that point that I had to prioritise it considering it was one of the first Blu-rays Sentai had released so a re-release with newer discs was desperately needed. The 6-part film series was directed by Umanosuke Iida (Devilman OVAs) and scripted by Toshizo Nemoto (Scarlet Nexus). The anime theatrically released between June to November 2011 and was animated by studio Bones (Bungo Stray Dogs). Sentai’s original Blu-ray was released in June 2012 whilst this new edition released June 2025.

Last but not least is another massive collection release with The World God Only Knows Ultimate Collection which includes three seasons and a few OVAs in one set; The World God Only Knows, The World God Only Knows II, The World God Only Knows: 4 Girls and an Idol OVA, The World God Only Knows: Tenri Arc OVAs and The World God Only Knows: Goddesses.

This franchise was one of the most popular harem romance type shows back in the day using a format similar to Amagami SS where every few episodes focused on a different love interest. The series never saw a Blu-ray release in the UK and in the US it was unavailable for quite sometime. Even if you watched the series during simulcast the OVAs were needed to fill in the gaps between Seasons 2 & 3 so holding out for a collection like this saves a lot of hassle. The anime seasons aired in October 2010, April 2011 and July 2013, and were adapted by studio Manglobe (GANGSTA). Sentai’s original Blu-rays for the main seasons were released in January 2012, August 2012 and March 2015 followed by a complete collection in January 2017, whilst this new edition was released July 2025.

Bonus: PSN Sale Haul

To continue the trend of building an even bigger video game backlog, PlayStation ran a holiday sale and there were a couple of titles that had my attention. As much as I prefer physical versions, these games currently do not have one (outside of one of them which received a limited release in Asia over half a decade ago).

Starting off with Metal Eden, the new 2025 first-person shooter from developer Reikon Games, the same team behind the cyberpunk top-down game RUINER. The announcement trailer caught my attention from the start and reviews have said it was pretty solid.

Next we have two very popular adventure games. First is the 2024 game 1000xRESIST from Canadian developer Sunset Visitor which received a lot of attention and positive reception when it first released on PC and Switch, and a year later they brought it over to PlayStation and Xbox which is how I’ll be checking it out. Very curious to see how this one plays as its visual style is really striking.

The other game is Dispatch, the new 2025 release by AdHoc Studio, a relatively new studio founded by former members of Telltale Games, Ubisoft and Oxenfree developers Night School Studio. This one is similar to the Telltale Games where they released the episodes in batches (2 a week) and it’s got a pretty cool premise which was good timing considering I’ve been enjoying Invincible these past few years (obviously not the same tone but the art style reminded me of it). The cast involved sounds promising and like the others it’s gotten a lot of positive buzz over the past couple of months. The studio’s next project is apparently going to be The Wolf Among Us 2 so I’m even more intrigued.

I also picked up Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, the second fighting game in the Cygames franchise. Released as a digital only title, but has been receiving new content like other big fighting games. The version I picked up was the deluxe edition which includes the first season pass of characters. I don’t own the first game physically but I have it as part of the PlayStation Plus monthly batches and as much as I would love to own a physical for the first game, it was notorious for being pretty barebones on-disc followed by numerous updates post-launch so I can see why they kept the second game as a digital download only.

Next we have a remaster with SEGA’s Resonance of Fate for the PlayStation 4. This is a cult classic turn-based/real time hybrid RPG released back in 2010 by Star Ocean developers tri-Ace on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, also known in Asia as End of Eternity. I played a bit of the Xbox 360 version and I was intrigued but didn’t know enough to fully grasp how the mechanics work. In 2018, the game was remastered for PlayStation 4 and PC with 4K resolution and 60 frames per second support similarly to Star Ocean: The Last Hope a year prior. This received a physical release in Asia but it was pretty limited and has been long out of print as far as I’m aware (especially the English cover variant).

Last but not least is another niche game called Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars, by developer Alim and publisher Square Enix. This PlayStation 4 game released in 2021 was made by veterans of the Drakengard franchise with Yoko Taro also co-directing alongside Maasa Mimura and what this is is a tabletop turn-based RPG where you use cards against your enemies. It’s a game that has gone well under the radar and was also released without a physical even in Asia so I decided to get this with the NieR collaboration DLC pack.

Unboxing Links

You can view more photos & specs for the titles below:

What’s to Come for the Hauls

I’m changing the format slightly for this section as I don’t always have a comment in place for each month especially as my orders tend to be pretty last minute these days. The latest status so far are a couple orders moved forward from their January date into December’s pickups, meanwhile one anime release got shifted from December to January and another release also moved from January to February. In return I did a massive pre-order haul for a majority of the Asian Cinema releases so that I have them out of the way to make room for other purchases in mind in the coming months.

I also have an update on Macross II, the kickstarter title from AnimEigo. I originally estimated an end of 2025 window but they just confirmed that they’re now expecting the release to be shipped out by the end of February which is great. Since I’m from the UK I am expecting additional delays due to shipping and customs so I’m estimating March for the time being.

January 2026

  • Cloud and Charisma: Two Films by Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Limited Edition Blu-ray)
  • The Dangers in My Heart Season 1 (Collector’s Edition Blu-ray)
  • The Delightful Forest (Limited Edition Blu-ray)
  • Diebuster (Collector’s Edition Blu-ray)
  • King of Beggars (Limited Edition Blu-ray)
  • Secret Service of the Imperial Court (Limited Edition Blu-ray)
  • System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Edition (PlayStation 5)

February 2026

  • Dragon Lord (Deluxe Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray)
  • The Japanese Godfather Trilogy (Limited Edition Blu-ray)
  • Naruto Shippuden Set 1 (Collector’s Edition Blu-ray)
  • Peking Opera Blues (Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD)
  • Picture of a Nymph (Deluxe Collector’s Edition Blu-ray)
  • Save the Green Planet! (Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD)
  • Takashi Ishii: The Angel Guts Collection (Limited Edition Blu-ray)
  • Zen and Sword: The Miyamoto Musashi Saga at Toei (Limited Edition Blu-ray)

March 2026

  • Eiichi Kudo’s Samurai Revolution Trilogy (Limited Edition Blu-ray)
  • Hard Boiled (Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD)
  • Macross II: Lovers Again (Premium Edition 4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray)
  • Magnificent Bodyguards (Deluxe Collector’s Edition Blu-ray 2D+3D)
  • Nobody Wants to Die (PlayStation 5)
  • Underworld Chronicles: Three Yakuza Fables by Takashi Miike (Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray)

April 2026

  • Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Returns Special Edition (PlayStation 5)
  • Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga (PlayStation 5)

Other Tidbits

It is now the new year and I just wanted to go over my thoughts over how 2025 had been.

Work was a rollercoaster of chaos. 2024 was pretty solid I felt with a new group of folks to work with despite some last minute ordeals, but 2025 was a mixed bag. To avoid going into too much depth, a lot had happened and the morale was all over the place. My team had turbulence as well but we’re in a pretty solid position though there is little room for me to progress in the role whilst other members are getting promotions or upgrades of some sorts. I’m also kept out of the drama and gossip from other teams which has its ups and downs and it does give me the vibe that I’m not trustworthy to know these things but it’s their decisions either way. At the end of the day, these things happen everywhere else regardless of who you work for or with. I recognise I am keeping things a float but for how long depends on the morale.

The hauls for 2025 on the other hand, or the hobbies in general, has been pretty solid for the most part. I picked up a lot of great stuff and making choices that I know will support my hobbies for the long term. The cinema trips in fact have been bigger than before as I managed to watch about 27 films on the big screen which was great and seeing various films, two of which were anime, was worth the value though it is a shame that I go on my own. Back at University I used to go with at least one other member but now its just myself.

My video game backlog has been growing and sadly I didn’t finish as many games as I had wanted during the past year. I started strong but other things got in the way or the feeling of procrastination is a nightmare. The anime watches did make a return and I got through a lot of great stuff on the simulcast backlog but it’s not at the same levels as the previous years, but I have learned that by checking any of them out at your pace makes for a better viewing and playing experience.

I also want to mention that I have been going through a weight loss journey of sorts. This started not long after I turned 30 years old back in June and I wanted to do something that felt worthwhile. Since the start of July I weighed 14st 6lb and just before Christmas I reached 13st 10lb (then 11lb so I’ll keep it at that), that’s pretty much half a stone lost in the span of about 5-6 months. My boss actually made a comment suggesting that these weight loss journeys are motivated by or for a special someone which I suppose may be partly true, but the trigger did come from Death Stranding 2 oddly enough and the Low Roar albums. I will eventually go into more detail about how I manage my exercises and whatnot over time but one of those factors is mentioned in my Video Games I Played in 2025 post that’s being sorted pretty soon.

So in general I would say 2025 has had its ups and downs and I am hoping for 2026 to keep my head up high for as much as possible.

Anime Limited

No major updates here (other than the fact that they just got bought by TOHO which was surprising as they were originally with Embracer Group but at least it’s better than Sony) but I wanted to go over my committed plans to what is going on with my collecting for Anime Limited moving forward. I will still be picking up a good amount of their special edition releases but I won’t be going for titles that focus solely on a poster and art cards because their current model takes up a lot of space on the shelves and the prices aren’t as good as they used to be. Films can be an exception to this but it depends on the title.

Their schedule is a bit all over the place so I have no idea what to expect. It looks like Blood+ and Blood: The Last Vampire will both be released in 2026 which is up there on my most anticipated pickups. Macross Delta and Macross Frontier I don’t think will make it and if so it wouldn’t be for a long while. Gundam is in limbo outside of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom and probably 4K Ultra HD releases for Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz and Gundam: Char’s Counterattack going by how things have been. InuYasha is in limbo still, especially now that we have VDMS re-authoring all 500 episodes of Naruto Shippuden which is insane.

AnimEigo & Discotek Media

AnimEigo have been doing very well thanks to their recent Black Friday sale on the MediaOCD store which apparently is going to help them massively with their upcoming acquisitions which is cool. I do wish they stocked more Discotek Media titles because I’ve not been able to get my pickup hauls sorted sooner because of the numerous amount of releases on Back Order status.

AnimEigo are still sticking to one release a month. So far Prime Rose: A Time Slip of 10,000 Years is their next release which is out later this month, followed by live-action film Big Boobs Buster in February, animated film MARS in March and just recently they announced their general release for The Dagger of Kamui in April which was one of the recent kickstarter campaigns from the AnimEigo founder. I’ve not done any pickups for AnimEigo for a while so I am looking into sorting out more if possible and there are a few that I can’t order directly from the MediaOCD store due to geolocking (VPNs apparently can bypass this but I don’t have one).

Discotek Media I believe will have another livestream event in the next month or two based on comments they made a while back and if so they’ll probably reveal what they have planned for most of 2026. There’s a good chunk of their backlog out of the way at least but we know Monster is still way too early to be released currently. I am looking forward to owning Sunrise’s Sgt Frog: The Movies, Zegapain and Zone of the Enders Perfect Collection when they eventually get scheduled.

With this latest pickups haul, I’ve gotten my wishlist narrowed down a bit and a few subsets sorted with Lupin the Third almost complete (just need to get Lupin the Third Part IV Japanese version and Lupin the Third: Italian Game then we’re sorted for the time being) and Urusei Yatsura out of the way. My next focus now will be Kodocha, Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha and Mazinkaizer as well as a few recent releases here and there. The big focus I ideally should be towards the older releases due to their current handling of the ‘in print’ titles especially after that whole faff with trying to get Lupin the Third: Swallowtail Tattoo. Basically consider any release before 2024 to have an unlikely chance of being reprinted unless its a popular IP.

Other Anime Notes

Crunchyroll UK have been putting out a good number of releases and whilst I did secure a couple of them there are still dozens to get, including Spy x Family and To Your Eternity to name a few. Annoyingly they didn’t bring over the limited edition for That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 3 which was on back order when it first released so I’ll be making sure I get that ordered sooner than later since I already have the previous two seasons in this edition. The light novels have concluded and I think Season 4 is going to be three-cours worth probably to wrap up the story so I’m interested to see how that goes.

The US schedule is rather lacklustre and they still have hundreds of unreleased anime to put out so I have no clue what is going on. Of the ones that are on the schedule the only ones that have my attention is Solo Leveling Season 2. The UK schedule does have Haikyu!! Season 1 which is awesome but I would like to see more seasons released first before I pick them up.

Sentai Filmworks on the other hand are doing pretty well with their newer licenses since almost all of them are being released on home video. The one that I am interested in the most is their steelbook release for 2.5 Dimensional Seduction Season 1 and maybe Loner Life in Another World as both of them offer good enough value with their editions. I did consider Chained Soldier‘s steelbook but I’ll stick with the regular edition later down the line. There are a couple re-releases that I didn’t get around to ordering but are on my radar for 2026 hauls; namely Legends of the Dark King: A Fist of the North Star Story, My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU Collection and Trinity Seven.

And that’s going to be it for the December 2025 pickups. I know it went overboard but that was due to some unexpected deliveries that arrived late or appeared early so here we are. I do expect January’s haul to be fairly light unless I make more purchases so let’s see how that turns out next month.

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