Glass Mask Launches Today

Beloved Shojo Epic Finally Available on DVD

HOUSTON, January 19, 2009 2010 – Section23 Films, America's fastest-growing anime distributor, is pleased to announce two new anime DVDs from Sentai Filmworks, including the first collection in the epic Glass Mask and the final volume of the school comedy Special A. Both new releases go on sale today.

Glass Mask Collection 1 presents the latest anime adaptation of one of Japan's most popular and enduring shojo epics. The original Glass Mask manga series runs more than 40 volumes since its launch in 1976, over 50 million copies of which have been sold in Japan. The story has been adapted several times for the screen, including a live-action series starring Yumi Adachi. This collection contains the first 26 episodes of The Glass Mask saga on four DVDs.

SYNOPSIS: Two Girls. One Dream. And the Entire World for a Stage. At 13 years old, Maya Kitajima seems destined to spend the rest of her life toiling in a crowded restaurant alongside her bitter and unstable mother; but when her incredible acting talent is discovered by the legendary diva Chigusa Tsukikage, Maya finds a new future filled with both golden opportunities and terrifying risks. For Ayumi Himekawa, success has always been assured, yet she longs to be recognized for her own talents and skills, not the family connections of her famous parents. For both, the ultimate prize is the role of The Crimson Goddess in the play of the same name, a part created by Chigusa and now portrayed by Ayumi's mother. To achieve this goal, each must seek out and conquer every acting challenge, pushing the limits of their talent and endurance to the utmost, until they are worthy of the part…. But for one to win, the other must fail! The dramatic rivalry of a lifetime begins in the acclaimed first collection of GLASS MASK!

Title: GLASS MASK COLLECTION 1
Running Time: 650 min.
Age Rating: TV PG
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
CAT: SF-GM100
UPC: 814131014801
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Pre-Book Date: 12/22/2009
Street Date: 1/19/2010
Format: DVD
SRP: $49.98

Special A Collection 2 assembles the last 12 episodes of the hit TV series, also known as “S.A.,” in a single two-DVD set. The series was first broadcast in Japan in April 2008 and has been widely anticipated by North American fans ever since.

SYNOPSIS: The members of the S.A. may be exceptional, but that doesn't keep some of them from being exceptionally dense! While Kei's thoughts about Hikari may be leaning in one direction, Hikari still sees him as the obstacle that has to be removed. Meanwhile, Akira's attempts to protect her friend Yui from Yahiro are having unanticipated effects, Jun is forced to reveal a secret he's been keeping from the others, and every other person in the group seems to be in love with someone else, but never the right ones. Finally, to cap it all off, an outside force threatens to intervene in a way that will destroy the S.A. forever! Will Hikari finally figure it all out before it's too late? If you thought the tangled web of relationships in the first half of Special A was complex, be forewarned that everything's going to get even crazier before the spectacular climax of SPECIAL A – COLLECTION 2!

Title: SPECIAL A COLLECTION 2
Running Time: 300 min.
Age Rating: TV PG
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
CAT: SF-SPA200
UPC: 814131012807
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Pre-Book Date: 12/29/2009
Street Date: 1/26/2010
Format: DVD
SRP: $19.98

Section23 Films provides home video marketing and distribution services for a variety of companies, including Sentai Filmworks, Switchblade Pictures, and AEsir Holdings. With its special focus on genre entertainment, Section23 Films distributes some of the very best anime, martial arts, and horror titles on the market today.