News

Funimation Adds Eva 2.0, Hetalia Film, Summer Wars

The North American anime distributor Funimation has announced at its Otakon panel on Friday that it licensed Hideaki Anno's Evangelion: 2.0 You Can [Not] Advance (Evangelion Shin Gekijōban: Ha) anime film, Studio DEEN's Ginmaku Hetalia - Axis Powers Paint it, White [Shiroku Nure!] anime film, and Mamoru Hosoda's Summer Wars anime film for home video.

Evangelion: 2.0 You Can [Not] Advance is the second film in Anno and Khara's four-film remake of Gainax's Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series. The 2009 film continued the story of a group of 14-year-olds entrusted with giant biomechanical units to protect Earth from mysterious Angels. While the first film hewed closely to the original television series, the second film went farther in a different direction and features one all-new major character, the pilot Makinami Mari Illustrious (Maaya Sakamoto).

Hetalia Axis Powers: Paint it, White! adapts Hidekaz Himaruya's Hetalia - Axis Powers web manga, just as the two earlier television seasons did, the ongoing third season is doing, and the just announced fourth season will do. The manga and anime take the archetypal characteristics of about 20 countries and regions, and anthropomorphize them as (mostly) bishōnen characters. Funimation already licensed the first two television seasons for North America, and it announced its license of the next two seasons at Otakon as well. The film just opened in Japan last month.

Summer Wars is MADHOUSE's latest award-winning film from the team behind The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, including screenwriter Satoko Okudera and character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. It follows a modern-day family on a midsummer adventure in the real and virtual worlds. Among other honors, the film won the Animation of the Year for 2009 and six more awards at the 9th annual Tokyo Anime Awards.

Images © Khara
© Hidekaz Himaruya / Studio DEEN
© 2009 SUMMER WARS FILM PARTNERS. 

Update: Funimation confirmed with ANN that it licensed the updated 2.22 version of the Evangelion film — the only version that was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in Japan. Funimation is planning DVD, Blu-ray, and theatrical releases, although details of the theatrical release are to be announced later. Funimation also has a theatrical release planned for Summer Wars this year, followed by DVD and Blu-ray releases next year. Similarly, the Hetalia film will ship on DVD next year.