Section23 Films announced on Wednesday that they will be collaborating with Bandai Namco Filmworks to distribute Royal Space Force — The Wings of Honnêamise, the first feature-length animated film by studio Gainax.
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The film will be remastered in 4K in honor of its 35th anniversary and will come in a 3-disc memorial box, complete with 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and a bonus disc. This new release will contain English subtitles, an English dub, and various bonus features, including an audio version of the pilot film that was never released on laser disc, a BGM collection containing multiple image boards, and much more.
No official release date for the special edition has been listed, but Section23 did note that it will be distributed to North America concurrently with the Japanese release, so fans won’t have to wait too long to get their hands on it.
Originally released in 1987, the film was known for its unique style of creation and development. Royal Space Force was made via a collaborative, year-long design process that incorporated a ton of creators, including many from outside of the anime industry, to help construct a realistic and detailed world.
The film’s collective approach to filmmaking and rejection of previously established anime tropes didn’t help it do well at the box office, but the film has since become something of a cult classic. Perhaps most famously, the film is known as the debut work of anime studio Gainax, who would go on to produce the television and movie series Neon Genesis Evangelion.
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“The Royal Space Force is established in Honnêamise – a fictional kingdom on a fictional planet,” reads the official synopsis for the film. “Although the force boasts 30 years of history, they haven’t been able to achieve solid results; people and the government have given up on them, seeing the force as a burden. Shirotsugh Lhadatt, the protagonist, is a member of the Royal Space Force, which, far from their dreams, has gone into idleness. One day, Shirotsugh meets Riqunni, a girl who preaches God’s word, and his destiny drastically changes, leading him to volunteer to be a space pilot … “
