More K-ON! Movie news

Several new bits of information have come out over the last couple of days since Sentai announced the K-ON! Movie license, not the least of which is the announcement of the release date: May 21^st will see the release of the movie on Blu-Ray and DVD, with SRPs at $39.98 and $29.98, respectively. Bonus features will include: Interviews, K-ON's Anniversary, 1-2-3 K-ON!, Live Event, K-ON in London, trailer, teaser, and clean opening/closing animation. The (possibly not final) cover has surfaced as well, based on the Japanese regular edition’s cover. Credit goes to the always-on-top-of-things WTK.

In related news, Manga Entertainment announced in their most recent podcast their license of the movie for the UK market, and their intention to release it on DVD and Blu-Ray later this year. They also implied that they are likely to license season 2 of the TV anime. No word on whether UK fans can expect a Blu-Ray release of the series.

Sentai announces K-ON! The Movie license

The news you’ve been waiting for – well, the news I have been waiting for, anyway – are here. Sentai Filmworks finally announced today the fact that they have licensed “K-ON! The Movie” and will release it “soon” – whatever “soon” means. The film will be released through “digital outlets”, and on DVD and Blu-Ray with “extensive extras” (which makes it sound to me like they are actually including all or most of the original bonus features from the Japanese release this time).

 

And, as with both seasons of the TV anime, the movie will be given an English language dub produced by Bang Zoom Entertainment. While I’m not much of a dub fan, personally, I am glad that the release will be consistent with the TV series.

 

Well – it’s no surprise at this point that Sentai would license the movie, but it’s nice to finally have confirmation. The waiting game begins again?

 

 

Madman licenses K-ON! movie

So, Madman Entertainment has announced the license of the K-ON! movie for distribution in Australia, to my knowledge the first license of the movie to an English speaking market. According to the announcement, the film will screen at the Japan Film Festival this December in Sydney and Melbourne, with a home video release to follow in 2013.

The question remains, how much longer will it be before a similar announcement is made from a North American distributor?

Movie DVD/Blu-Ray specs revealed

So, broadcaster TBS revealed today on the official K-On! website the details of the upcoming home video release of the K-On! movie. The release date, as we already know, is July 18^th, and there will be four different editions: Regular DVD (priced at 3990 yen), Limited Edition DVD (7560 yen), regular Blu-Ray (7665 yen) and awesomest of all, the Limited Edition Blu-Ray (9240 yen).

Regular edition

Limited Edition

The Limited Edition will come in a box full of various K-On! goodies, and will include a second disc filled to the brim with bonus features. The full list can be seen at the official site, though be warned that the extras listing contains an indirect movie spoiler.

Translated bonus feature details, courtesy of ultimatemegax:

The LEs will come with a small booklet of the storyboards (450 pg), a small version of the booklet sold in theatres (40 pg), a mini production booklet (24 pg), cords for a song played in the movie, a 5-piece bromide set, a small version of the appreciation tickets (5 kinds), and a 3-sided box. They also come with a bonus disc (BD will get a BD, DVD will get a DVD).

On the bonus disc are the following features: Yamada Naoko in London (location/scenario scouting), Tanaka Minami's dubbing report (additional feature of the recording sessions), a backstage feature of Houkago Tea Time in Universal Studios Japan, a Houkago Tea Time in TBS press conference, a special program K-On! the movie navigational program, music recording, stage greetings on opening day, non-text OP/ED, pre-movie bit about manners, and TV CMs/previews/trailers.

Included on the feature disc are commentaries by staff, cast, and producers.

And there you have it. The price tag may seem steep – as is usual for anime in Japan – but seeing how packed with extras the LE is (149 minutes worth of video extras, three audio commentaries, a box and lots of physical goods), it should definitely be worth it. For anyone wondering, the discs will include Japanese subtitles but no English translation of any kind. All editions will offer 5.1 and 2.0 audio mixes, encoded in Linear PCM for the Blu-Ray versions and Dolby Digital for DVD.

Two and a half months to go…

Movie Blu-Ray/DVD release set for July

As indicated on a solicitation listing, the K-On! movie will be released on Blu-Ray and DVD in Japan on July 18^th. It will have been seven and a half agonizing months since the film’s theatrical premiere, a long time for a movie to move from cinemas to home video by anyone’s standard. Even so, it’s a significantly shorter waiting period than what fans of Kyoto Animation’s previous feature film, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, had to endure.

More information should be available this coming week.

“Ho-kago Tea Time in MOVIE” album track list revealed

The official K-On! website has revealed the content of the upcoming movie insert song album. Note that this list, obviously, gives away which Ho-kago Tea Time songs are heard in the movie – so consider this your SPOILER warning!

News: K-On! movie opens, new Ho-kago Tea Time album announced

"Arigatou"

The day is finally here, and the K-On! movie is now showing in Japanese movie theatres. For all of us K-On! fans not living in Japan, however,  the wait continues for an as-of-yet-unknown amount of time… In all likelihood, the earliest we get to see it for ourselves will be when it is eventually released on DVD and Blu-Ray, whenever that will be.

 

But there’s more! With the release of the movie, a new album with insert songs from the film has been announced. Coming out on January 18^th is “Ho-kago Tea Time in MOVIE”, in the form of both a regular and a Limited Edition with two CDs. Price tag is set at 2,500 yen plus tax.

I’ll say this right now; I’m not going to review this album when it comes out. Eventually, yes, but not for a while yet. In fact, I will not even listen to it. Not until I have seen the movie. For one thing, because hearing any new songs performed in the movie beforehand would be a huge spoiler. But it would also spoil the experience of listening to the album. Thinking back to the release of the insert song album of the second season of the TV anime, it was such a fantastic experience to hear it for the first time, and it would have been significantly less so had I not watched the anime first. Because of the anime and how the album tied into it, it had emotional resonance it wouldn’t have been able to achieve as a stand-alone musical experience. Now – I don’t expect quite the same thing from the movie album, but still… I feel that you’re not really supposed to listen to these things outside of the context (hence why it’s being released a month and a half after the movie and wasn’t announced prior to its release).

So, yeah. That’s why the album (and probably the other movie related CD releases as well) will have to wait, as far as I am concerned.

That’s my rant for today. Now, those who can, enjoy the movie. While for me, and the majority of the people reading this, the wait is still on…

Android version of official K-On! app released

In today's news update, the official K-On! website announced a version of the previously released K-On! movie countdown app for Android. A version for iPhone/iPad has been available for some time, so it seems a little odd that an Android version appears only now with less than a month left until the movie premieres. Oh well. Moe moe kyun!

Well, I don't own an Android device, so this old iPad screenshot will have to do.

News: “K-On! The Movie” theme song “Unmei♪wa♪Endless!” preview

TBS’ official K-On! website has released a preview of the song “Unmei♪wa♪Endless!”, the theme song from the upcoming K-On! movie. The clip features an introduction by the five Ho-kago Tea Time cast members and a short clip of the actual song.

YouTube user musashino003 has uploaded an edited-down clip featuring only the song itself:

News: “K-On! The Movie” ending song “Singing!” preview

TBS’ official K-On! website has released a preview of the song “Singing!”, the end credits song from the upcoming K-On! movie. The clip features an introduction by the five Ho-kago Tea Time cast members and about a minute and a half of the actual song.

YouTube user MrMitsu89 has uploaded an edited-down clip featuring only the song:

News: K-On! The Movie CD singles and soundtrack announced

Broadcaster TBS’ official K-On! website has announced today the dates for the K-On! movie related music releases. The film’s opening song “Unmei♪wa♪Endless!” will be released as a CD single on December 7^th. The CD will also include the song “Ichiban Ippai” as well as instrumental versions of both songs. The two songs are composed by Tom-H@ck (also responsible for the opening songs from the TV anime), with lyrics by Shoko Omori.

Released on the same date is the ending theme song single “Singing!”, composed by Hiroyuki Maezawa (composer of the TV anime ending songs, and a number of other related tracks including “Fuwa Fuwa Time”) with lyrics by Shoko Omori. Also included is the song “Ohayou, Mataashita” and instrumental versions.

Scheduled for release on December 21^st is the “K-On! The Movie Original Soundtrack” album with music by Hajime Hyakkoku, composer of the TV anime original soundtracks. No track listing has been released so far.

The singles will sell for 1260 yen apiece, and the OST price tag is set for 3150 yen.

News: K-On! fan matchmaking party in Tokyo

Well, here are some news I didn’t expect to read this morning: Anime News Network reports that matchmaking campaign “I’m Single” will host a matchmaking party for K-On! fans aged 20 to 45 on October 22^nd.

The event is being held at the Roumantei Italian restaurant in Tokyo, and attendance fee is 6,000 yen for men and 1000 yen for women. It might seem unfair that men have to pay six times more than women, but considering K-On! is a seinen (young men) manga, it stands to reason that the majority of fans are male and thus jacking up the price is a good way of evening out the male/female attendee ratio (That’s only my speculation, of course! Not any kind of official reasoning).

In other news, TBS’ official K-On! website posted a new 30 second trailer for the K-On! movie earlier this week. Unfortunately, this trailer is merely a shortened version of the previously released trailer and features no new footage, so instead of wasting time with that; here’s the original full-length trailer again, this time with higher quality video thanks to YouTube user MrMitsu89:

News: K-On! movie trailer and song titles released!

Broadcaster TBS’ official K-On! website has been updated with streaming video of the new trailer for the upcoming K-On! movie. Unlike the previous two teasers, this is a full-on trailer that shows actual footage from the film.

In addition, the website has revealed the titles of the new songs that are to appear in the film (and are briefly previewed in the trailer): An opening song named “Ichiban Ippai”, a theme song named “Unmei♪wa♪Endless!” and an ending song named “Singing!”. Tom-H@ck (“Cagayake!GIRLS”) composed the opening and theme songs, while Hiroyuki Maezawa (“Don’t Say “Lazy””) is responsible for the ending song. Shoko Omori wrote the lyrics for all three.

Three months to go…

News: K-On! movie premise revealed

When the K-On!! anime ended last September, the last aired episode finished with the announcement that a K-On! movie would be forthcoming. Now, close to a year later, and less than four months (sixteen weeks, to be exact, according to Azusa) from the premiere; we have finally been given official word about the films plot. SPOILERS ahead!

Movie Countdown App

So, there is a new official K-On! app for iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch. It’s a pretty simple thing, what it does is show you a picture of Azusa, everyone’s favorite keionbu newcomer, holding up a piece of paper telling you how much time there is left before the K-On! movie opens.

Why, thank you, Azusa! Only nineteen weeks and three days to go... Plus a year or so for those of us who don't live in Japan

Well, that, and it also shows you the current time. There isn’t much to be found here aside from the main screen. There’s an options menu that lets you set an alarm (on or off! Such a simple choice), choose the time (presumably for when the alarm is to go off), whether to “repeat” only once or every day, and what sound to play (guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, or school bell).

The picture of Azusa changes every now and then. The main focus, of course, is on the paper she’s holding, so you don’t always get to see her face.



Gee, I wonder who gave her this note.



This is the least bashful I've seen her so far.

So – not necessarily the most useful app, but it’s free, and if you’re an Apple whore and a die-hard K-On! fan, you’re probably going to want it. And you will always know exactly how much time is left until the K-On! movie opens in Japan! Yay!

K-On! Movie teaser trailers

Thanks to user VideoGameFrontReturn, the two teaser trailers for the upcoming K-On! movie can now be watched in decent quality on YouTube.

The first teaser premiered in April, and consisted primarily of clips from the TV anime. The only new material was a voice over by Yui and brief new animation of her greeting the audience.

The second teaser came out earlier this week, and like the previous one; does not feature any actual footage taken from the film.

News: TBS reveals K-On! movie website, teaser trailer

TBS, the network responsible for K-On! broadcast in Japan, have updated the official K-On! website with a new K-On! movie-themed design. The original website for the TV anime can still be viewed here.

Not a lot of new content has been added, aside from a new teaser trailer for the movie. As with the first teaser trailer, first shown a few months ago; this new teaser consists of clips from the TV anime and doesn’t feature any actual footage from the film.

The K-On! movie opens in Japanese theaters December 3^rd.