S'more Entertainment adds Galaxy Express 999 TV anime

[WTK]

via ANN

S'more Entertainment Adds Galaxy Express 999 TV Anime
posted on 2012-01-16 21:30 EST

1st U.S. subbed DVD release planned for Leiji Matsumoto, Rintaro's space opera classic

Arny Schorr, owner of the North American anime distributor S'more Entertainment, confirmed on Monday that his company acquired the Galaxy Express 999 television series from Toei Animation. The classic 1978-1981 television series from director Rintaro adapts Leiji Matsumoto's space opera manga of the same name. S'more Entertainment is planning the first American DVD release for the series with English subtitles, but the release date has not be been set yet.

The story follows Tetsuro, a young orphan, as he travels through the galaxy on a space-train accompanied by a mysterious woman named Maetel in the hopes of obtaining a cybernetic body. The train stops at many planets along the way, often leading to adventures for the two.

Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu have been streaming the television anime series outside Japan since 2009. The original manga also inspired a 1979 film that Viz once licensed in North America along with its sequel Adieu Galaxy Express 999. Discotek released the first Galaxy Express 999 film on DVD in North America last year.

When asked if he would license more anime, Schorr said, "We'll see how it goes. The DVD business is pretty much [going down], and we picked [another anime, Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo,] up because it was unique and it was broadcast, and yet nobody's done complete releases."

Update: Founded in 2005 by Schorr (formerly of Rhino Entertainment), S'more Entertainment specializes in DVD releases of vintage television series and cult films. Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo and Galaxy Express 999 are S'more Entertainment's first two anime releases. Retail distribution for S'more is handled in the United States and Canada by Entertainment One Ltd.

[Damius]

Not a series that I'm interest in, but this is fantastic news for the fans!

[MelancholicMariya]

Holy shiiiiiiiiiiiit!

Sold. Sold so hard.

[FUNiOP]

Very interesting to see this new company suddenly pop up and start making some big news. Well I liked Galaxy Express 999 when I watched it on Crunchyroll, but I really don't have any desire to ever watch any more of it again.

[Faris Kalin]

Holy cow! Someone is actually releasing the GE 999 tv series on dvd. Well, you've got at least one buyer.

Now get to work on the Legend of the Galactic Heroes license.

[mike.motaku]

I'll believe it when I see it. And when I see it, I will buy it.

[Daniel_Perales]

Originally Posted by mike.motaku

I'll believe it when I see it. And when I see it, I will buy it.

The same goes for me, too.



Danny

[Rhodes]

I dont believe I am seriously considering picking this up when it gets released... I cant stand this show yet it does have some nostalgic value/feelings.

I'll take a look at it when it's out... hopefully it'll be one box set for all of it. This subtitled only or will it include the dub? Or was the dub version the movies only? Could of sworn I saw this crap in English as a kid, if not this then must of been the movies I saw.

Wish they would of gone with Harlock or Queen Millennia instead.

[Brent Long]

Originally Posted by Rhodes

I'll take a look at it when it's out... hopefully it'll be one box set for all of it. This subtitled only or will it include the dub? Or was the dub version the movies only? Could of sworn I saw this crap in English as a kid, if not this then must of been the movies I saw.

Harmony Gold dubbed two TV specials, Can You Love Like a Mother and Can You Live Like a Warrior, and released them scantly in 1985.

It's also quite possible they dubbed a sizable amount of the TV series. Harmony Gold produced full television packages of Magical Princess Minky Momo and Croaker Demetan, separate from their Gigi and the Fountain of Youth, The Brave Frog, and The Brave Frog's Greatest Adventure specials for home video and limited TV broadcast. However, Harmony Gold's Gigi and Brave Frog TV were never released, the former produced concurrently with Robotech and the latter some time later.

Galaxy Express may have suffered a similar fate. On Chris Meadows' Robotech podcast, Space Station Liberty, Barbara Goodson remembered the show enough (albeit not by name) to bring it up, remarking on how director Byrd Ehlmann had to have her re-record a bunch of dialogue to change her character's name from a Japanese one to Joey. In fact, the Can You Love Like a Mother special is clearly designed to mimic Roger Corman's Galaxy Express, wherein Tetsuro is renamed Joey Hanakanabobakananda Smith. In fact, one line in the Mother special still has the character referred to as Tetsuro. Both dubs also feature the concept of the conductor approximating the late, great Ed Wynn.

Anyway, it's reasonable to wonder if Goodson would have remembered this all so well had it only been the two TV specials she worked on. To that end, I'd hope S'more is adamant about tracking down and securing whatever they can, should it exist.

[WTK]

via The Fandompost article

...On GE999, after listening to input, we will only offer the episodes in the Japanese language with sub-titles. There are no English language tracks and we will not be creating them for this release.