Bandai Entertainment has confirmed that the high definition Blu-ray version of Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira is scheduled for worldwide (including the U.S.) release on February 24th.  The deluxe disc, which was originally announced by Bandai Visual U.S., will be released on the Honneamise label with an M.S.R.P. of $49.98.  The Akira BD will include both Japanese and English subtitles along with the English dub track, but purists should really enjoy the Japanese track, which will be presented in state-of-the-art 192 kHz 24-bit Dolby TrueHD 5.1ch sound. 

The initial pressing of the Akira BD will include a slipcase and a 32-page booklet.  Extras on the disc include two teasers, two trailers, a TV commercial and Otomo’s complete storyboards for the film.

Produced in 1988, Akira remains a hugely important film both in Japan, where it influenced nearly every subsequent anime production, and in the U.S., where it was a major impetus for the growth of anime fandom in the 1990s.  While it is silly to think that collectors will replace their entire DVD collections with new Blu-ray versions, Akira is the kind of classic that, because of the quality of the fluid animation and the intensity of its post-apocalyptic storyline, makes a serious case for an upgrade.