Section23 Films Announces January 2021 Release Dates
A new year means a new selection of anime, and Section23 Films aims to wow fans with some top-notch selections! From an iconic manga's return and a lover of books to a new releases of a certain witch-in-training, there are plenty of reasons why you should pay attention to what's to come! See below to get a glimpse into 2021!
BLACK BULLET
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 325 min.
Street Date: 1/5/2021
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $49.98
The Gastrea virus spreads like wildfire, causing each infected host to rapidly mutate, gaining new powers and abilities with every stage of development, even while they continue to attack, kill and infect multiple new hosts. Unable to fight a pandemic enemy that turns defenders into adversaries, the shocked remnants of the human race are forced to retreat into cities surrounded by giant monoliths made of Varanium, one of the few materials that can stop the Gastrea. Now mankind's last hope lies in the Cursed Children: young girls infected with the virus who have managed to retain a hold on their humanity. Paired with a partner, they alone have the strength to take on a Gastrea in one-on-one combat. But the very thing that gives them power is a ticking time bomb, so even as they protect humanity, they are also feared and shunned. Are they Girls? Monsters? Or Mankind's Ultimate Salvation?
FLYING WITCH
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 300 min.
Street Date: 1/5/2021
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $49.98
Traditionally, when a witch turns 15, she's supposed to go out into the world alone to study magic. Makoto's parents, however, believe that their directionally-challenged daughter should get a high school degree. Instead of being sent out on her own, Makoto and her cat Chito find themselves traveling from the bustling city of Yokohama to Aomori Prefecture, where they'll stay with relatives until Makoto finishes school. It's going to be a big adjustment, and it only gets more complicated since "normal" people aren't supposed to know that witches exist… something that she tends to forget. In the meantime, Makoto, her cousins, and her new friends will have to work just a little harder to adapt to a whole new way of life when the new girl in town is a Flying Witch! (Read our review of Flying Witch, where we call it "the anime equivalent of a warm blanket wrapping around your body on a snowy Christmas morning.")
BANG DREAM! FILM LIVE
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 73 min.
Street Date: 1/12/2021
Format: BD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $29.98
It's here! The big concert! Kasumi Toyama, the girl who followed the trail of golden stars and heard the call of the Star Beat, and her friends/bandmates Saya, Tae, Rimi and Arisa, are now poised on the edge of stardom themselves as they prepare for a massive outdoor concert! It's a huge venue to fill, but fortunately Poppin'Party won't be the only band taking the stage during this major musical event. It's a non-stop wall of J-Pop fun as Afterglow, Pastel Palettes, Roselia, and Hello, Happy World! all join the ladies of Poppin'Party, and while they're all still competing against each other, the real winners are the lucky members of the audience! So, what are you waiting for? Your backstage pass is waiting at the hottest show in town!
GIRLS UND PANZER: THIS IS THE REAL ANZIO BATTLE!
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 38 min.
Street Date: 1/12/2021
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $14.98
“A piece of spaghetti or a military unit,” George S. Patton famously said, “can only be led from the front end.” However, once the heat of battle has cooled and the fog of war turns as thick as minestrone, determining which end was front and who pulled on what can be difficult. Therefore, for the enthusiasts who’ve puzzled over the epic tank battle between the girls of Oorai Girls’ Academy and their Italian-themed rivals from Anzio High School, we present these classified videos for your eyes-only! Miho and Team Oorai will have their hands full with the impulsive attacks of Vice-Commander Pepperoni and facing the raw fury of Vice-Commander Carpaccio… but the real question is whether they can hold off Anchovy’s ultra-secret secret weapons! Will they persevere? Or will their opponents end up saying “tank” you very much… for the victory?!
BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 600 min.
Street Date: 1/19/2021
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $89.98
Damned to wander the Earth in an endless cycle of carnage and murder, the fallen samurai known as Manji seeks the chance to win back his mortality. To do so, he must first balance the deaths weighing against him by slaying 1000 evil souls, a task that would take even the greatest warriors a lifetime. Manji, however, has all the time in the world to kill, and his lonely quest leaves a trail of bloody bodies in his wake… until his path crosses with that of Rin, who has sworn vengeance against the murderers of her family and school, even though the cost will almost certainly be her own life. Now, the girl who chases death has an unkillable sword master at her side, and the men she seeks will soon learn to fear the Blade Of The Immortal!
ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 675 min.
Street Date: 1/26/2021
Format: BD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $89.98
When a sickly young girl suddenly becomes obsessed with inventing new things, her family and friends are all puzzled. "What has gotten into Myne?" they wondered, never dreaming that the answer is not a "What" but a "Who": Urano Motosu, a book-loving apprentice librarian who died in an earthquake in Tokyo who somehow found herself in Myne's body! And since Myne's world is still in a medieval stage, where books can only be owned by the elite, the new Myne intends to do everything she can to bring her beloved books to the masses in the time she has left. Unfortunately, that may not be very long, as Myne's body is still failing, and she may only have a short time left to achieve her lofty goals!
KILLING BITES
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 300 min.
Street Date: 1/26/2021
Format: BD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $59.98
SYNOPSIS: Yuya Nomoto was horrified to discover that the vehicle he was driving was being used to kidnap a high school girl, but he's even more shocked when the girl, Hitomi Uzaki, literally tears her kidnappers to pieces instead! Then she forces Yuya to drive her to an arena where she bets the value of his organs on herself to win in a death match against a half-lion hybrid! Even more astonishing: Hitomi wins! That's because she's a Therianthrope, a genetically engineered fighter created specifically for the underground death matches known as Killing Bites! And now that Yuya has been pulled into this dark underworld, he has no choice but to continue working for Hitomi. Because who's going to fight against a girl who's part honey badger? Get ready to enter the most savage competition ever!
For more information, visit the official Sentai Filmworks website!
