One of my favorite panels this year was the GKIDS panel! If you know me, you know I am the first in line to watch an anime movie on the big screen. And thanks to GKIDS, I’ve been able to watch so many of the Ghibli catalog and new movies in theaters. This panel was a celebration of all the great animation GKIDS has been able to bring to American theaters along with some BTS on their physical media process. My favorite part of the panel was the sneak preview for The Last Blossom, which is an anime movie from the creators of ODDTAXI and Pompo the Cinephile. I’m hoping I can catch it in theaters this weekend because the preview was so good!
At the panel, GKIDS also announced for the first time that it has acquired the upcoming live action adaptation of 5 Centimeters Per Second. This live action is based on the animated movie by famed director Makoto Shinkai. They also announced the acquisition of VAMPIRE HUNTER D: BLOODLUST, the “gothic cult classic” directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri and animated by Madhouse Studio.
5 Centimeters Per Second
After transferring to the same elementary school, Takaki and Akari became best friends. However, their lives change when both their families are forced to relocate. After a year of separation, Takaki is about to reunite with Akari. As he sits on the train from Tokyo, memories of the past rush through Takaki’s head, his meeting time with Akari drawing ever closer. Takaki and Akari begin to wonder if they will ever be able to see each other again, and share their secret feelings. Join Takaki on a journey into three interconnected tales of love and lost innocence that span the minutes and months of their lives.
VAMPIRE HUNTER D: BLOODLUST
After a young woman is seemingly abducted by the vampire Baron Meier Link, her father hires D – a vampire-hunting “Dunpeal” – to rescue her. As D rides across the wastelands, he must compete against a group of tough mercenary hunters, and confront the complex truth about the woman.
Source: GKIDS Anime NYC Industry Panel
