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There are some terrific new anime shows to look out for this month, but for anyone looking to add to their library, there’s also a solid selection of new Blu-ray releases to keep an eye out for. Legacy franchises are in the spotlight, as Bleach, Fist of the North Star, and Medabots are just some of the classics headed to physical media, and on the more contemporary side of the medium, shows like Great Pretender, Insomniacs After School, and Boruto lead the charge.
Bleach fans have been in their element lately, as the anime adaptation of the manga’s final storyline has been incredible. Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War has offered take-no-prisoners arc of war and death, anchored by fantastic animation and even better pacing thanks to the manga having concluded years ago. Without having to worry about catching up to the manga, Studio Pierrot has been able to deliver two series of sharp animation and cutting-edge battles pitting Soul Society and Bleach protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki against the vengeful forces of the Wandenreich. This month’s Bleach release brings the first 13 episodes of the revived Bleach series to Blu-ray, and it’s available as both a special-edition and a regular Blu-ray.
Then there’s the return of Berserk, as the late Kentaro Miura’s dark fantasy series is making its long-awaited debut on Blu-ray. This is a restoration of the original 1997 anime series, a grim and brutal tale of swords and destiny that has only gotten better with age. Especially when compared to the other underwhelming to bad adaptations of Berserk. Alongside all 25 episodes presented in high-definition, you can watch the series in either the original Japanese dub or the infamous English version, and all of the extras from previous DVD releases have been included.
Other highlights this month include the award-winning anime film Suzume, a critically acclaimed masterpiece that is elegantly animated, and the delightful Great Pretender, a slick tale of con-artists targeting the worst of high society. Both of these anime are available in deluxe editions, so if you’re looking to treat a friend–or yourself!–these would make for some thoughtful gifts. Lastly, the second season of Medabots is landing on Blu-ray this month. Originally airing during an era of anime where everyone was looking to be the next Pokemon, Medabots is a fun and cheeky series where kids pit their robot pals against each other in Meda-battles. This release contains all 39 episodes of the second season and is the uncut Japanese version.
For everything else coming this month, you can check the full list out below. Amazon Prime members can still get free release-day delivery on all of these upcoming Blu-rays.