Some classics from director Makoto Shinkai are on the way to Blu-ray this June. GKIDS announced plans to release three new Blu-ray editions of some of his acclaimed early projects, including 2004’s The Place Promised in Our Early Days, 2007’s 5 Centimeters Per Second and 2011’s Children Who Chase Lost Voices.

There are actually five projects on the way in total, because short films Voices of a Distant Star and She and Her Cat will make their Blu-ray debut as part of the 5 Centimeters Per Second release. All of these are due out in North America on June 7. 

Check out the covers and a look at the bonus features for each:

Bonus Features:

• Interviews with Japanese voice cast
• Interview with director Makoto Shinkai
• Trailer collection

Synopsis:

The feature film debut from Makoto Shinkai, The Place Promised in Our Early Days is a haunting and beautiful story of friendship and loss, with stunning visuals and the emotional approach to science-fiction that would become the director’s trademark. In an alternate post-war Japan, three teenagers become obsessed with a mysterious tower across the Union border, which reaches far into the sky. Hiroki and Takuya work on a makeshift airplane, which they promise their friend Sayuri they will use to visit the tower together someday, but she disappears before it is completed. Several years later, the tower suddenly activates, starting a phenomenon that threatens the world. And the young men now discover their long-lost friend Sayuri may hold the key to it all…

The Place Promised in Our Early Days is the winner of Best Animated Film at Mainichi Film Award, Silver Prize at Fantasia Film Festival, and Award for Expression Technique at the Tokyo International Anime Fair.

Bonus Features:

• Voices of a Distant Star short film
• Feature-length storyboard (5 Centimeters Per Second)
• Interview with Shinkai (5 Centimeters Per Second)
• Interview with cast
• Music video
• Trailers
• She and Her Cat short film
• Interview with Makoto Shinkai (Voices of a Distant Star)
• Storyboards (Voices of a Distant Star)
• Trailer Collection

Synopsis:

Young love, missed connections, and unrequited feelings collide in a romance from Makoto Shinkai. Told in three vignettes, 5 Centimeters Per Second: A Chain Of Short Stories About Their Distance explores the joys and heartache of falling in love set against the backdrop of the breathtaking visuals that define Shinkai’s work. Takaki yearns to spill his heart out for childhood crush Akari, but both their families move away before any feelings can fully blossom. They stay in touch, but eventually drift apart with school and new friends to distract them. As the seasons pass, Takaki navigates his relationships while haunted by all the things he left unsaid with Akari, his first love. Also included is Voices of a Distant Star, the debut film from Makoto Shinkai, available for the first time on Blu-ray in North America. 5 Centimeters Per Second was winner of Best Animated Feature Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

Bonus Features:

• Audio commentary with Shinkai and staff
• Interviews with staff and cast
• Making of Children Who Chase Lost Voices
• Japanese promotional video
• Japanese trailers
• Works of Makoto Shinkai

Synopsis:

Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below is an epic fantasy adventure in a world of ancient gods. Asuna is an introvert who prefers spending her time listening to a radio left by her deceased father. One day, she hears an odd song that resonates in her heart unlike anything else. It leads to a chance encounter with a mysterious boy, who transports Asuna to Agartha, a land of legend where the dead can be brought back to life. Compelled by the song and the boy, Asuna journeys through the mythical lands, but hostile warriors and ghastly creatures will stop at nothing to prevent Asuna from uncovering the secrets of their world. Children Who Chase Lost Voices was nominated for Best Feature at Annecy and winner of Best Art Direction at the Tokyo Anime Award.

Source: Press release

——-

Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his comics at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox.