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Sentai Filmworks Adds Penguindrum, Ninja Scroll Film, Letter Bee

North American anime licensing company Sentai Filmworks announced at its Animaine panel on Saturday that it acquired Mawaru Penguindrum, the Ninja Scroll (Jūbei Ninpūchō) film, and the first season of Letter Bee (Tegami Bachi).

Mawaru Penguindrum is the latest anime from director Kunihiko Ikuhara (Revolutionary Girl Utena, several Sailor Moon television series). Otome Yōkai Zakuro manga creator Lily Hoshino handled the original character designs in this 24-episode anime which aired last year.

Yoshiaki Kawajiri not only directed the Ninja Scroll film at the Studio Madhouse, but he also wrote the screenplay and designed the characters. The film opened in Japan in 1993 and later became a popular showing on American cable television. Madhouse has since produced a television series version. The studio has also been working on plans for a new Ninja Scroll project and offered a teaser video.

Hiroyuki Asada's original Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee manga follows a boy who runs deliveries as a "Letter Bee" messenger throughout a strange fantasy land. The Crunchyroll service simulcasted the first season of the anime in several countries as it aired in Japan in 2009, and Viz Media will publish the original manga's 11th volume this November.

Images © kuni chowder,pengroup
© 1993 Yoshiaki Kawajiri/Mad House/JVC/Toho Co., LTD./Movic Inc.
© Hiroyuki Asada/Shueisha, Tegami Bachi Production Committee, TV Tokyo

Update: Sentai Film added that all will be released in December: Mawaru Penguindrum on Blu-ray Disc and DVD, Ninja Scroll on Blu-ray and DVD, and Letter Bee on DVD.