March has been a big month for physical releases of popular anime, so it’d be understandable if some of the earlier releases in 2024 slipped past you. Let’s take a look at a handful of the anime releases you have missed in January and February.
Bocchi The Rock – Complete First Season
Bocchi The Rock: Complete First Season
First up is Bocchi: The Rock, a must-watch anime series for anyone who loves music. Hitori Gotoh, a high school girl and talented guitarist who dreams of rock stardom but is also incredibly introverted, is eventually pulled out of her socially inept shell when she joins a local band. Dubbed Bocchi-chan by her bandmates, Gotoh finally finds a platform to help her grow and face her severe social anxiety, little by little. Bocchi: The Rock is a terrific combination of polished visuals and a killer soundtrack, mixed with endearing characters and hard-rocking performances. The Blu-ray includes all 12 episodes from the first season, promos, and clean credit sequences.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Stone Ocean – Part 1 – Blu-ray – Limited Edition
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean
Another anime to check out but with a far more confident heroine is Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean. January’s release for Part 1 of the saga contains 18 episodes, both English and Japanese language tracks, clean credit sequences, and a 48-page booklet in this limited-edition release. This Jojo series focuses on Jolyne Cujoh–and yes there is a Jolyne song reference in one episode–as she finds herself locked up in the Green Dolphin Street Prison. Framed for a crime she didn’t commit, Jolyne has to get to the bottom of a mystery that will bring the war between the Joestar family and Dio to a fateful end.
Like the other Jojo series, it’s not long before Jolyne awakens her own Stand, Stone Free, and finds herself drawn into several battles against other Stand-users, each one using their powers in unique and deadly ways.
RahXephon – Complete Collection
Rahxephon
An underrated anime to check out is Rahxephon, a mysterious tale set inside of Tokyo city. For 15 years, humanity fought an ongoing battle against the alien invaders known as the Mu, who have trapped the city of Tokyo inside an impenetrable dome that has altered the flow of time. One inhabitant begins to make brief contact with the outside world, but as he soon learns, nothing’s quite as it seems as reality begins to unravel and he finds himself central to a plan that could alter the fate of our species. This Blu-ray includes all 26 episodes and the full-length feature film, as well as clean credits, production art, and interviews with the cast and crew.
Handyman Saitou In Another World – The Complete Season
Handyman Saitou In Another World
For something a little more lighthearted, there’s Handyman Saitou In Another World. If you’re familiar with Isekai anime, then you’re probably bored with the usual power-fantasy show about a high school kid summoned to another world and given incredible power as he builds his own personal army of potential girlfriends. Handyman Saitou changes up that formula with a protagonist who remains as mortal as the average adventurer.
The catch here is that Saitou is incredibly useful thanks to his wide array of handyman skills, assisting his comrades with his craftsmanship, lockpicking skills, and general usefulness as they explore deadly dungeons. It’s a surprisingly heartwarming show with some wonderful worldbuilding, and you’ll get all 12 episodes alongside several extras in this Blu-ray release.
I’ve Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills – Complete Collection
I’ve Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills
Sticking with fantasy anime, if you’re in the mood for something familiar but weird, there’s I’ve Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills. After Farmer Al kills a dragon with a carrot like some sort of fantasy-genre John Wick, his life quickly gets turned upside down when he discovers that his high-level farming skills have made him stronger than even the greatest heroes of the land. Still seeking to reach the apex of farming, Al works to keep threats to the kingdom at bay so that his farm can remain safe. This Blu-ray has all 12 episodes from the first season.
Paprika
Paprika
Lastly, one of the most influential anime movies of all time has just gotten a fresh Blu-ray release but don’t be surprised if this one sells out. Paprika has been cited as a major influence by several filmmakers over the years, and this 4K restoration does an excellent job at bringing this surreal movie to a new audience. Paprika is one of those films you’ll want to go into with as few details as possible for maximum impact, and once you’re done having your grasp on reality shaken to its core, there are a lot of extras to enjoy.
A documentary on the restoration process, a making-of documentary, storyboards, trailers, and several extra featurettes are all included and come packaged inside of a sharp-looking steel book cover. For anyone familiar with this trippy film, this is easily the definitive Paprika package to pick up and add to your collection.
