Manga Entertainment is releasing the DVD of Osamu Tezuka' Black Jack on April 24, 2001.  The DVD will include English 5.1 Surround Sound and audio tracks as well as a Japanese stereo audio track with optional English subtitles.  Black Jack is the story of an unlicensed surgeon, who focuses his considerable skills on fighting crime and helping those in need.  Over 35 million book length collections of Black Jack manga have been published since the character debuted in the 1960s.  Tezuka, who created Astro Boy, is considered the father of Japanese manga and anime.  Black Jack was the first animated feature created by Tezuka Productions.  This is the first English language DVD version of the classic anime.

Also appearing for the first time on DVD in the U.S. is Masamune Shirow's Appleseed. This post-apocalyptic tale of a conspiracy aimed at wiping out a heavily defended technocratic utopian society explores many of the themes (such as the relationship of computers and society), that Shirow dealt with again in his masterwork Ghost in the Shell.  The special DVD features include an English 5.1 Surround Sound and stereo audio track, a Japanese stereo soundtrack with optional English subtitles, character bios, and Japanese production credits.  Both of these releases should benefit from the switch to DVD, which is clearly becoming the collector's medium of choice.