
Sony has announced that it will release the anime feature Tekkon Kinkreet on DVD on September 25th. Tekkon Kinkreet, which is based on Taiyo Matsumoto's three-volume seinen manga published here by Viz Media as Black & White, is the first anime feature directed by an American, Michael Arias (see 'Tekkon Kinkreet'). Sony plans to release the film in both a regular DVD version (MSRP $26.95) and a Blu-Ray high-def version (MSRP $38.95). In September, Viz Media also plans to release Matsumoto's manga in one 624-page mega-volume with a cover price of $29.95.
Last weekend Sony released the R-rated Tekkon Kinkreet theatrically in a number of markets including New York and L.A. (see 'Tekkon Kinkreet Screening in N.Y., L.A.') and the film received a generally favorable review in last Friday's New York Times. Reviewer Manohla Dargis found the film 'beautiful and a touch bewildering,' though she found Anthony Weintraub's 'ambitious screenplay tends to distract as much as it engages.' Still Ms. Dargis concluded: 'Even so, Tekkon Kinkreet demands to be seen, if only for its beauty. The generally bright palette and overall soft look work a nice contrast on the dark theme, as if the world itself were on the children's side. The character design of the boys is particularly lovely...'