Just a quick update on the highly anticipated Hong Kong Blu-ray Disc release of Evangelion 2.22: You Can (Not) Advance.
The English subtitles are separated from the Chinese ones and are, according to AnimeOnDVD Forum user DiGiKerot, the same as in the international theatrical screenings. However, it looks like Asia Video had to translate the new 2.22 scenes (about three minutes) themselves and the results are supposed to be “pretty Engrishy (and occasionally not very accurate)“.
The disc (25GB) is locked to Region A (Asian Blu-ray Guide User Phillip), so it won’t play on umodified European (or Australian) Blu-ray Disc players.
After some delays, Universum Anime will release Evangelion 2.22 in Germany on September 17th, but I guess this won’t help most of you who are reading this version of the site…
During the Anime Expo, FUNimation stated (see panel transcript) that they haven’t acquired the US rights and since Manga Entertainment UK probably depends on FUNimation for such a big release, the choice of English friendly releases will stay slim for some time now.

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About a week before the Japanese Blu-ray Disc release of Evangelion 2.22: You Can (Not) Advance hits the shelves, Asia Video announces a little present for us Japanese-impaired Evangelion fans. According to YesAsia.com, the Hong Kong based distributor will release the film on Blu-ray Disc and DVD with English subtitles in two editions on June 25th. Next to the standard edition (DVD) which looks a lot like the Japanese release, there will also be a limited Edition (DVD) with some goodies…an Evangelion shopping bag and something Google just can’t translate.

The Blu-ray Disc editions will include the original Japanese 2.0 and 6.1 track and the Cantonese dub in 2.0, the used audio codec isn’t mentioned. Traditional Chinese subtitles are also listed, let’s hope Asia Video won’t make the same mistake as Panasia Films with their 20th Century Boys Blu-ray Disc releases. All editions are listed as Region A/Region 3.

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King Records announced some details for their upcoming (May 26th) Japanese DVD and Blu-ray Disc release of Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance on their TAF2010 booth.
Just like with the first part of the Rebuild of Evangelion series, Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone, Gainax will include several adjustments/improvements and new scenes to upgrade the theatrical 2.0 version to the 2.22 home video version. Thanks to some more scenes featuring hot-headed Asuka and EVA Unit 03, the run time will grow from 108 minutes to 111 minutes and 49 seconds.
Other than the usual bonus material (AR script and promotion material like teasers, trailers and TV spots), the limited first press editions of the DVD and Blu-ray Disc will include a deluxe booklet and a film strip, but no English subtitles.
While Evangelion 2.0 is supposed to be released in Germany on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on July 16th, FUNimation hasn’t announced anything regarding their plans to bring it to the US yet.
Watch the bootlegged TAF 2010 promo video after the jump…

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I won’t say much about the announcement of the Japanese home video release of Evangelion 2.0: You can (not) advance because German distributor Universum Anime pretty much stomped it to the ground (if you’re able to understand German that is) with their own announcement. Well: King Records will release Evangelion 2.0 in a longer 2.22 cut on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in Japan on May 24th, 2010. As espected this release won’t include English subtitles and the cover artwork (see left) isn’t much to write home about.
Just a few hours after King Records’ announcement, Universum Anime posted in the label’s own message board that they will release this version on DVD (in a limited edition steelbook) and Blu-ray Disc just two months later on July 16, 2010! They also mentioned to release Evangelion 1.11 on Blu-ray Disc (which was only available on DVD in Germany) on the same day.
FUNimation hasn’t mentioned Evangelion 2.0 so far (even though they’re releasing 1.11 on Blu-ray Disc on March 8th) and if they keep up their pace, I don’t think 2.0 will come to the US in 2010. While I’m no big fan of German releases (I prefer English subtitles), I think I’ll get the 2.0 one just for a change if the (technical) reviews are good…

[via SOS Brigade & Can you Moe?]

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After the premiere screening of Evangelion 2.0: You can (not) advance on the German AnimagiC convention in Bonn has been canceled because of license problems, fans will get another chance to see the second part of the Rebuild of Evangelion series on the big screen.
According to the latest news letter of the Asia Filmfest 2009, the film will be one of the festival highlights to be screened in Munich starting October 29th.
Those of you who don’t want to drive to Munich in October will have to wait until May 2010 when Universal Anime, according to AniView, will release the film in the “improved” 2.01 version on DVD and probably also on Blu-ray Disc.

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After a few early announcements with only vage time frames, a proper release date for the US Blu-ray Disc release of Ghost in the Shell 2.0 has been announced.
According to RightStuf.com, Manga Entertainment will release the “improved” 2.0 version of Mamoru Oshii’s anime classic on November 24th, a month after the delayed UK Blu-ray Disc release and almost a year after the neat Japanese one.
[Thanks to AnimeOnBlu for the heads-up!]

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I just got the confirmation that some unpleasant changes were made to the program of this years Animagic and the related Animotion film festival. Despite former announcements both Gurren Lagann movies and Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance will NOT be screened on the festival because of license problems! An official announcement is available over at AnimaniA.

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