AnimeVision

Sentai Filmworks have been on quite the licensing spree lately, in their own quiet way, but their latest batch of new titles - revealed as usual through Section23's monthly sales solicitations with no real fanfare - held a few surprises. We'll take the big one first - Gintama, an alternate-world action-comedy series which as seen Edo-era Japan invaded by aliens and its samurai striped of the right to carry their swords. The shows's hero, Sakata Gintoki, is a former samurai now reduced to taking on odd-jobs to make ends meet, with fun consequences. The series has been running for several years in Japan now (as well as being simulcast on Crunchyroll), with the episode count now over the 200 mark, so it'll be interesting to see how well this works out for Section23.

The second 'high-profile' title is a license-rescue of former Geneon title, Le Portrait de Petite Cosette, a gothic-lolita / horror OVA which sees antique shop worker Eiri entranced by visions of a girl who died over 200 years ago. I reviewed the UK edition of the series a while back and found it well worth watching, so it's good to see it return from licensing hell.

Rounding out the new slate are Hidamari Sketch × 365, the second season of slice-of-life comedy series Hidamari Sketch, and Asatte no Houkou - or A Direction of the Day After Tomorrow, to give it it's new English title. This is an endearing growing-up story where young girl Karada unexpectedly sees her wish to be all grown up come true - with saddening consequences. This one has taken a long time to be picked up - it originally aired in Japan in 2006 - but is another series that's well worth seeing.

All four titles will ship during April 2010.