March has been a big month for physical releases of popular anime, so it’s understandable if some of the previous releases pass you by in 2024. Let’s take a look at some of the anime released in January and February.
Bocchi The Rock – Complete Season 1
First up is Bocchi: The Rock, a must-watch animated series for anyone who loves music. Hitori Goto, a talented high school girl and guitarist who dreams of rock stardom but is also incredibly introverted, finally breaks out of her socially inept shell by joining a local band. Nicknamed Bocchi-chan by his teammates, Gotoh finally finds a platform that helps him grow and slowly face his severe social anxiety. Bocchi: The Rock is a wonderful combination of polished visuals and a killer soundtrack, combined with lovable characters and hard rock performances. The Blu-ray contains all 12 episodes from the first season, commercials and clean credit sequences.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Stone Ocean – Part 1 – Blu-ray – Limited Edition
Another must-watch anime with a much more confident protagonist is Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean. The January release for Episode 1 of the saga includes 18 episodes, both English and Japanese tracks, a clean credit sequence, and a 48-page booklet in this limited edition. This Jojo series focuses on Jojo Jojo – and yes there is a Jojo song reference in one episode – as he locks himself up in the Green Dolphin Street Jail. Guilty of a crime he didn’t commit, Julien must get to the bottom of a mystery that brings the war between the Joestar family and the demon to a decisive end.
As in other JoJo series, it’s not long before Julian awakens his Stand, Stone Free, and finds himself engaged in several battles against other Stand users, each of whom use their powers in unique and deadly ways.
RahXephon – The Complete Collection
An underrated anime to check out is Rahxephon, a mystery story set in inner city Tokyo. For 15 years, humanity has fought a constant battle against alien invaders known as Mo, who have trapped the city of Tokyo inside an impenetrable dome that has altered the flow of time. One of the residents begins to make brief contact with the outside world, but as he soon learns, nothing is as it seems, as reality begins to unfold and he finds himself at the center of a program. See that it can change the fate of our species. The Blu-ray includes all 26 episodes and featurettes, as well as clean credits, production art, and interviews with the cast and crew.
Saitou Handyman In Another World – The Complete Season
For something a little more pleasant, there’s Saitou’s assistant in another world. If you’re familiar with Isekai anime, then you’re probably tired of the usual fantasy power show about a high school kid who is summoned to another world and given incredible power. Handyman Saitou changes the formula with a hero who remains as mortal as a normal adventurer.
Interestingly, Saitou is extremely useful thanks to his wide array of crafting skills, helping his comrades with crafting skills, lockpicking skills, and general usefulness as they explore deadly dungeons. It’s a wonderfully heartwarming show with great world-building, and you’ll get all 12 episodes, plus several extras, on this Blu-ray release.
As I improved my farm related skills I became somehow stronger – the full set
If you stick to fantasy anime, if you’re into something familiar but weird, let’s just say that I’ve gotten kind of stronger as I improve my farm-related skills. After Farmer Al slays a dragon with a fantasy John Wick-like carrot, his life quickly turns upside down when he discovers that his advanced farming skills have made him stronger than even the greatest heroes in the land. Still striving to reach the pinnacle of farming, Al tries to keep the kingdom’s threats at bay so his farm stays safe. This Blu-ray has all 12 episodes of the first season.
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Finally, one of the most influential anime films of all time just got a new Blu-ray release, but don’t be surprised if it sells out. Paprika has been cited as a major influence by several filmmakers over the years, and this 4K remake does a great job of bringing this surreal film to a new audience. Paprika is one of those movies that you want to go into with as little detail as possible for maximum impact, and once your grasp of reality is stretched to its core, there’s plenty of extra to enjoy.
A documentary on the restoration process, a making-of documentary, storyboards, trailers, and several extra features are all included and packaged inside a sharp-looking steel book cover. For anyone familiar with this trippy flick, this is a definite Paprika package that you can easily pick up and add to your collection.
