20th Century Boys
Encyclopedia
is a science fiction
-mystery
manga
created by Naoki Urasawa
. It won the 2001 Kodansha Manga Award
in the General category, an Excellence Prize at the 2002 Japan Media Arts Festival
, and the 2003 Shogakukan Manga Award
in the General category. The last two volumes of the story were serialized under the name . The series makes many references to rock music
as well as a number of 1960s-1970s anime
; its title is based on T.Rex's famous song, "20th Century Boy
".
Urasawa wrote 20th Century Boys along with another popular title, Monster
, for two years (Monster ended in 2001). It was licensed by VIZ Media
in 2005; however, at Urasawa's request, it has been rescheduled for release after Monster finishes its English serialization due to a change in art style over time.
A live action movie adaptation, directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi
, was released in Japan on August 30, 2008, as the first part of a trilogy of films. The second film was released on January 30, 2009, with the final part being released August 2009 (Both the USA and Japan shared the same premiere date of the final film, with the U.S. premiere exclusively being at the VIZ Cinema in San Francisco).
The series itself opens in the late 1990s, where Kenji is a convenience store owner, finding solace in his childhood adventures as he takes care of his baby niece Kanna and his mother. After Donkey is reported to have committed suicide, Kenji stumbles upon a large cult led by a man known only as "Friend". The cult has a plan to destroy the world on New Year's Eve of 2000, (referred to in the latter half of the story as the Bloody New Year's Eve), and the events that are currently unfolding are suspiciously close to the plan documented in the Book of Prophecy. Kenji begins to recruit some of his older friends, including Otcho and Yoshitsune, in an attempt to stop Friend.
The series spans several decades, from 1969 to 2017, which in the chronology of the series, becomes 3FE (3rd Year of the Friend Era). The series makes two distinct timeline cuts during the story; one from 2000 to 2014, and one from 2014 to 3FE. Several parts of the series are also told in flashbacks to previous events as the characters attempt to unravel the mystery of who Friend is and how to stop his plans of world destruction; most of the children's backstories through the 70s and 80s are told in this fashion.
Overall, the plot follows the friends as they initially try to piece together what the Book of Prophecy contained, and eventually attempt to predict the next attack, which begins with biological attacks on San Francisco and London, followed by a series of bombings at a major Japanese airport. The attack on the eve of 2000 involves a "robot", which is revealed to be a giant balloon with robotic appendages. Kenji manages to get inside the robot to plant a bomb in it, and is presumed killed when the bomb explodes. From this event, in which Friend uses a monument to destroy the robot, Friend and the , his titular political group, gain widespread political and even religious power, as Friend is slowly beginning to be viewed as a religious icon. Friend then reveals a new plan, a continuation of the Book of Prophecy, in which he plans to kill every human being on Earth except for 3 million of his friends, but he is then assassinated by his chief scientist. Following this, Friend's funeral becomes a worldwide spectacle, held in a stadium with the Pope giving the address. Partway through the service, Friend appears to rise from the dead and is shot in the shoulder by his own assassin. Friend made it appear like he saved the Pope, leading him to worldwide acclaim and power.
The final portion of the story takes place in a newly remodeled Japan, under the Era of Friend, who has instituted numerous bizarre changes, including the establishment of an Earth Defense Force, reputedly to protect Earth from an imminent alien invasion. During this time frame, Kanna, who is revealed to be Friend's daughter, leads an insurgency against Friend's government, enlisting the aid of numerous groups, including the survivors of rival gangs and mafia organizations. During this, Kenji, apparently also risen from the dead and carrying his trademark guitar, reappears.
The first movie was released on 30 August 2008 in Japan. The second was released 31 January 2009 and the third on 29 August 2009. The world preview of the first film took place 19 August 2008 at Publicis
Cinemas in Paris attended by Toshiaki Karasawa
(Kenji in the film) and Takako Tokiwa
(Yukiji).
The first movie covers volumes 1 to 5 of the manga. The second one covers volumes 6 to 15 but it differs from the original manga on some key points. Important characters missing in the first movie have been introduced in the second one. The final film in the trilogy covers the remainder of the volumes, but with several changes to the story.
A, while of the two, only the HK release contains English subtitles.
A UK DVD release was announced by label 4Digital Asia, and released on 4 May 2009. On the same day, Part 2 received its UK theatrical premiere at the 8th Sci-Fi-London
annual fantastic film festival. Part 3 received its UK theatrical premiere on 7 May 2010 at the Prince Charles Cinema
in London as part of the 2nd Terracotta Film Festival. Following this, 4Digital Asia will release a 4-disc boxset containing the complete trilogy on 31 May 2010.
Viz Media
has licensed the trilogy for a North American release. The first film had its US theatrical premiere at the New People opening in San Francisco on 15 August 2009. The second film premiere followed at the same cinema on 21 August 2009, and the third film premiere followed on the same day as the Japanese premiere on 28 August 2009.
Part 1 received its US DVD release on 11 December 2009. A launch event was held at the New People cinema in San Francisco with a theatrical screening. Part 2's DVD release had a similar launch event on 9 February 2010 with a one-night-only theatrical screening. Part 3 has a launch event & theatrical screening scheduled at New People on 20 May 2010.
Entire series broadcast by NHK on its TV Japan channel airing on consecutive Saturdays beginning November 13, 2010.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
-mystery
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
created by Naoki Urasawa
Naoki Urasawa
is a Japanese manga artist.-Early life:He graduated from Meisei University with a degree in economics. In 2008, Urasawa had a guest teaching post at Nagoya Zokei University, where he taught classes on manga.-Manga career:...
. It won the 2001 Kodansha Manga Award
Kodansha Manga Award
is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous year, sponsored by the publisher Kodansha. It is currently awarded in four categories: children's, shōnen, shōjo, and general. The awards began in 1977, initially with categories for shōnen and shōjo. The first award for the...
in the General category, an Excellence Prize at the 2002 Japan Media Arts Festival
Japan Media Arts Festival
The Japan Media Arts Festival is an annual festival held by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs since 1997. The festival for a nominal year was usually held during February or March next year, rather than at the end of the nominal year. For instance, the 2010 Japan Media Arts Festival, where...
, and the 2003 Shogakukan Manga Award
Shogakukan Manga Award
The is one of Japan's major manga awards, sponsored by Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga since 1955 and features candidates from a number of publishers.The current award categories are:...
in the General category. The last two volumes of the story were serialized under the name . The series makes many references to rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
as well as a number of 1960s-1970s anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
; its title is based on T.Rex's famous song, "20th Century Boy
20th Century Boy
"20th Century Boy" is a song by T. Rex, written by Marc Bolan. It was released as a single in 1973 and reached #3 in the UK Singles Chart. The song did not feature on an original studio album but was included as a bonus track on a reissue of 1973 album Tanx.It later returned to the UK Top 20 in...
".
Urasawa wrote 20th Century Boys along with another popular title, Monster
Monster (manga)
is a seinen manga written and illustrated by Naoki Urasawa, published by Shogakukan in Big Comic Original between 1994 and 2001, and reprinted in 18 tankōbon volumes. It was adapted by Madhouse as a 74-episode anime TV series, which aired on NTV from April 7, 2004 to September 28, 2005...
, for two years (Monster ended in 2001). It was licensed by VIZ Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
in 2005; however, at Urasawa's request, it has been rescheduled for release after Monster finishes its English serialization due to a change in art style over time.
A live action movie adaptation, directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi
Yukihiko Tsutsumi
is a Japanese television and film director. He began directing commercials and music promotion videos as an employee of Nihon Television. After spending time abroad, he returned and started his own production company, Crescendo, from which he works independently...
, was released in Japan on August 30, 2008, as the first part of a trilogy of films. The second film was released on January 30, 2009, with the final part being released August 2009 (Both the USA and Japan shared the same premiere date of the final film, with the U.S. premiere exclusively being at the VIZ Cinema in San Francisco).
Synopsis
In 1969, young boys Kenji, Otcho, Yoshitsune and Maruo build, in an empty field, a hideout they call their secret base, in which they and their friends can get together to share manga and stolen porn magazines and listen to a radio. To celebrate the event, Otcho draws a symbol for the base that would represent their friendship. After their friends Yukiji and Donkey join the gang, they imagine a future scenario where villains would try to destroy the world, and in which the boys would stand up and fight; this scenario is transcribed and labeled .The series itself opens in the late 1990s, where Kenji is a convenience store owner, finding solace in his childhood adventures as he takes care of his baby niece Kanna and his mother. After Donkey is reported to have committed suicide, Kenji stumbles upon a large cult led by a man known only as "Friend". The cult has a plan to destroy the world on New Year's Eve of 2000, (referred to in the latter half of the story as the Bloody New Year's Eve), and the events that are currently unfolding are suspiciously close to the plan documented in the Book of Prophecy. Kenji begins to recruit some of his older friends, including Otcho and Yoshitsune, in an attempt to stop Friend.
The series spans several decades, from 1969 to 2017, which in the chronology of the series, becomes 3FE (3rd Year of the Friend Era). The series makes two distinct timeline cuts during the story; one from 2000 to 2014, and one from 2014 to 3FE. Several parts of the series are also told in flashbacks to previous events as the characters attempt to unravel the mystery of who Friend is and how to stop his plans of world destruction; most of the children's backstories through the 70s and 80s are told in this fashion.
Overall, the plot follows the friends as they initially try to piece together what the Book of Prophecy contained, and eventually attempt to predict the next attack, which begins with biological attacks on San Francisco and London, followed by a series of bombings at a major Japanese airport. The attack on the eve of 2000 involves a "robot", which is revealed to be a giant balloon with robotic appendages. Kenji manages to get inside the robot to plant a bomb in it, and is presumed killed when the bomb explodes. From this event, in which Friend uses a monument to destroy the robot, Friend and the , his titular political group, gain widespread political and even religious power, as Friend is slowly beginning to be viewed as a religious icon. Friend then reveals a new plan, a continuation of the Book of Prophecy, in which he plans to kill every human being on Earth except for 3 million of his friends, but he is then assassinated by his chief scientist. Following this, Friend's funeral becomes a worldwide spectacle, held in a stadium with the Pope giving the address. Partway through the service, Friend appears to rise from the dead and is shot in the shoulder by his own assassin. Friend made it appear like he saved the Pope, leading him to worldwide acclaim and power.
The final portion of the story takes place in a newly remodeled Japan, under the Era of Friend, who has instituted numerous bizarre changes, including the establishment of an Earth Defense Force, reputedly to protect Earth from an imminent alien invasion. During this time frame, Kanna, who is revealed to be Friend's daughter, leads an insurgency against Friend's government, enlisting the aid of numerous groups, including the survivors of rival gangs and mafia organizations. During this, Kenji, apparently also risen from the dead and carrying his trademark guitar, reappears.
Characters
- The central protagonist of the first half of the story, which revolves around his childhood in the 1970s to the present day. He is generally laid-back, and appears to be heavily interested in rock'n rollRock musicRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
. He, his relatives, and friends play crucial roles as the plot unfolds. His whereabouts are unknown after the events of the Bloody New Year's Eve and was presumed dead, but later reappears under the alias of (a reference to the main character of Tomorrow's JoeTomorrow's Joeis a critically acclaimed boxing manga written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Tetsuya Chiba in 1968 that was later adapted into an anime series and movie. It is most commonly referred to as Ashita no Joe. Outside Japan it is also referred to as Rocky Joe or Joe...
), revealing that after barely escaping the robot's explosion, he suffered amnesia and wandered throughout Japan, only to regain his memory after the end of the year 2015.
- Kenji's niece, and the protagonist in the aftermath of the Bloody New Year's Eve. She seems to possess supernatural abilities the source of which is unknown, though it is hinted by Friend to be the result of a secret medicine given to her mother before childbirth. Coupled with her charisma, Kanna makes an able leader, leading a rebel faction against Friend under the moniker of .
- Kenji's childhood friend and benefactor, he typically is referred to as "ShōgunShogunA was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
". In prime physical shape, he has escaped certain death many times. Originally suspected to be Friend (perhaps due to the fact that he was the one who thought of the symbol which Friend's cult uses), it has been revealed that he went to receive enlightenment and training from a monk after experiencing the pain of the loss of his son, and was simply living in Asia's seedy underground. His real name is .
- An enigmatic character who draws on the childhood ideas of Kenji and his friends to commit atrocities and gain power over the world. His true identity is one of the driving mysteries of the series. During the course of the story two different characters take on mantle of Friend.
- Kanna's biological father is an extremely unbalanced man who nurtured a pathological envy of Kenji since their childhoods as well as delusions of grandiosity. A megalomaniac primarily motivated by a desire to live out childish fantasies of being recognized as a hero and to take revenge on the world for not recognizing the exceptionality he perceived on himself, Fukubei is an extremely charismatic leader who explores people's need to believe in something greater than themselves in order to fake a series of supernatural powers (in reality, only stage magic tricks) and pose as a superhuman prophet. He seduced Kanna's mother in order to enlist her help in developing a vaccine for the Ebola-like pathogens. Fukubei is shot dead by Yamane in the middle of the series.
- The man who usurps Fukubei's place is most likely Katsumata, another one of Kenji's childhood schoolmates. Katsumata harbors a deep hatred of Kenji for stealing a prize from a candy shop in their childhood and letting Katsumata take the blame for it. This incident leaves Katsumata "dead": a social pariah, his very existence unacknowledged by his schoolmates. Unlike Fukubei, who only pretends to have paranormal powers, the second friend is a powerful precognitive who could dream the future since his childhood. Also unlike Fukubei, who dreamed of conquering the world so his need for attention could be fed by the praise of others, Katsumata wishes to destroy the entire planet after deeming the world unnecessary. He conducted experiments on Kanna's mother during her pregnancy in order to create another paranormal. He is killed by a crashing flying saucer at the end of the series.
- Kenji's childhood friend who created the secret base with him. He was one of the few who answered the call to fight back with him on the Bloody New Year's Eve. In the year 2014, he is the leader of one of two underground organizations bent on taking down Friend, known as the .
- God is the nickname of a homeless old man (real name: ) who is bent on the return of tenpin bowling as a major sport in Japan. God has the power of foresight and can see what will happen before it comes to pass. God was the one who warned Kenji and told him of his future. Later in the series, God becomes extremely rich by using his foresight to play the stock market. With his new found wealth, he becomes the first Japanese civilian to travel into space.
- Kenji's only female childhood friend. During Kenji's school years, Yukiji was a high-toned tomboy, whereas in the manga's adult years, Yukiji is portrayed as rather professional. She is reunited with Kenji while working at an airport in Tokyo as a customs official (often comically mistaken for a narcotics officer), along with a drug sniffing dog named Blue Three (a Japanese pun on the name Bruce LeeBruce LeeBruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
). Yukiji also assists Kenji during Bloody New Year's Eve. Yukiji becomes Kanna's guardian after Kenji's disappearance.
Films
The trilogy of 20th Century Boys live-action films (directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi) is one of the biggest undertakings ever in the Japanese movie industry. The project not only had a budget of 6 billion yen, but it featured a cast of 300 people.The first movie was released on 30 August 2008 in Japan. The second was released 31 January 2009 and the third on 29 August 2009. The world preview of the first film took place 19 August 2008 at Publicis
Publicis
Publicis Groupe is a French multinational advertising and communications company, headquartered in Paris, France. It is one of the world's three largest advertising holding companies . Its current president is Maurice Lévy. Publicis Groupe S.A...
Cinemas in Paris attended by Toshiaki Karasawa
Toshiaki Karasawa
is a Japanese theatre and film actor. He made his theatrical debut in the play Voice Review Stay Gold in 1987. He specialises in theatrical action sequences such as swordplay and fighting...
(Kenji in the film) and Takako Tokiwa
Takako Tokiwa
Takako Tokiwa is a Japanese actress. Takako was born in Yokohama, Japan.She was nominated for the "Best Actress" award at the Japanese Academy Awards in 2005 for her performance in Akai Tsuki.- Films :...
(Yukiji).
The first movie covers volumes 1 to 5 of the manga. The second one covers volumes 6 to 15 but it differs from the original manga on some key points. Important characters missing in the first movie have been introduced in the second one. The final film in the trilogy covers the remainder of the volumes, but with several changes to the story.
Cast
- Toshiaki KarasawaToshiaki Karasawais a Japanese theatre and film actor. He made his theatrical debut in the play Voice Review Stay Gold in 1987. He specialises in theatrical action sequences such as swordplay and fighting...
as Kenji Endō - Etsushi ToyokawaEtsushi Toyokawato pursue a career in acting. He began by joining the sho-gekijo theatrical troupe "Under Thirty," which was known for the membership of another famous actor, Watanabe Eriko, at the time...
as Otcho - Takako TokiwaTakako TokiwaTakako Tokiwa is a Japanese actress. Takako was born in Yokohama, Japan.She was nominated for the "Best Actress" award at the Japanese Academy Awards in 2005 for her performance in Akai Tsuki.- Films :...
as Yukiji - Airi TairaAiri Taira' is a Japanese actress that graduated from the Horikoshi High School. She debuted in 1999 by winning the DA PUMP's, ISSA's Sister Role Grand Prix for the movie Dream Maker. She played a lead role in the live action movie of 20th century boys as the character Kanna...
as Kanna - Teruyuki Kagawa as Yoshitsune
- Takashi Ukaji as Mon-chan
- Hiroyuki MiyasakoHiroyuki Miyasakois a Japanese actor and comedian, and plays the boke in Ameagari Kesshitai. He won the award for Best Supporting Actor at the 28th Hochi Film Awards for Thirteen Steps and Wild Berries.-Filmography:*Thirteen Steps *Wild Berries...
as Keroyon - Kuranosuke Sasaki as Fukubei
- Renji Ishibashi as Inshū Manjōme
- Katsuo NakamuraKatsuo Nakamurais a Japanese actor. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 5th Japan Academy Prize and at the 6th Hochi Film Award for Kagero-za, Buriki no kunsho, Shikake-nin Baian...
as God - Hitomi KurokiHitomi KurokiHitomi Kuroki is a Japanese actress. Her real name is Shoko Ichiji née Egami ....
as Kiriko Endō
- Naohito FujikiNaohito Fujikiis a Japanese actor and singer.- Singles :# [1999.07.07] 世界の果て ～the end of the world～# [1999.11.17] 虹 ～waiting for the rainbow～# [2000.07.19] パーフェクトワールド # [2000.11.01] コズミックライダー # [2001.04.18] 2 HEARTS# [2001.08.01] anon...
- Arata FurutaArata Furutais a Japanese theatre and film character actor.-Biography:Furata has a broad range that goes from playing serious salary men, to bushi in period drama roles, and even women....
- Yoriko DouguchiYoriko Douguchiis a Japanese actress.-Selected filmography:* Charisma * Tomie * 20th Century Boys 2: the last hope * Yuriko, Dasvidaniya -External links:*, the fansite approved by Yoriko Doguchi...
- Kenichi Endo
- Fumiya FujiiFumiya Fujiiis a male Japanese popular music artist. He is a part of Sony Music Japan.After leaving his job in Japanese National Railways, he started his music career in the 1980s as the vocalist of the immensely popular group The Checkers and started on his solo project after they split up.Naoyuki Fujii, his...
- Takashi FujiiTakashi Fujii, born March 10, 1972 in Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese comedian and singer who belongs to the Japanese entertainment conglomerate Yoshimoto Kogyo and is the popular host of Matthew's Best Hit TV , born March 10, 1972 in Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese comedian and singer who belongs...
- Oshikazu Fukawa
- Chizuru Ikewaki
- Masato Irie
- Tamotsu Ishibashi
- Hidehiko Ishizuka
- Nana KataseNana Kataseis a Japanese actress.Katase portrayed Kiyomi Takada in Death Note: The Last Name. She also released a number of albums. "Fantasy" was one of her songs and it was in the third intro of Hikaru no Go. It was part of the "Galaxy, Telepathy, and Fantasy" album and after "Necessary" was made as her single...
- Fumiyo Kohinata
- Ken Mitsuishi
- Mirai MoriyamaMirai MoriyamaMirai Moriyama is a Japanese actor. In the Japanese film Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World, he played a high school age hero trying to deal with his terminally-ill girlfriend. He also portrayed the character Kakuta on the 20th Century Boys live action movie...
- Katsuhisa NamaseKatsuhisa Namaseis a Japanese actor, known primary for his roles in Japanese television dramas. His roles are often positions of authority, such as managers, principals, or police officers, but many of these characters also share a certain kookiness and incompetence...
- Raita Ryu
- Shirô Sano
- Naoto TakenakaNaoto Takenakais a Japanese actor, comedian, singer, and director from Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture affiliated with From First Production. He is married to idol singer and actress Midori Kinouchi.-Director:*Munō no Hito *119...
- Miyako Takeuchi
- Ryushin Tei
- Yu Tokui
- Hanako Yamada
- Niclas Ericsson as VIP
Availability
The first film in the trilogy is now available on DVD and Blu-ray in Japan from VAP, and in Hong Kong from Kam & Ronson. Both discs are locked to RegionDVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
A, while of the two, only the HK release contains English subtitles.
A UK DVD release was announced by label 4Digital Asia, and released on 4 May 2009. On the same day, Part 2 received its UK theatrical premiere at the 8th Sci-Fi-London
Sci-Fi-London
SCI-FI-LONDON , is a UK based film festival, dedicated to the science fiction and fantasy genres, which began in 2002.-About the Festival:...
annual fantastic film festival. Part 3 received its UK theatrical premiere on 7 May 2010 at the Prince Charles Cinema
Prince Charles Cinema
The Prince Charles Cinema is a repertory cinema located in Leicester Place, 40 metres north of Leicester Square in the West End of London. It shows a rotating program of cult, arthouse, and classic films alongside recent Hollywood releases - typically more than ten different films a week on two...
in London as part of the 2nd Terracotta Film Festival. Following this, 4Digital Asia will release a 4-disc boxset containing the complete trilogy on 31 May 2010.
Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
has licensed the trilogy for a North American release. The first film had its US theatrical premiere at the New People opening in San Francisco on 15 August 2009. The second film premiere followed at the same cinema on 21 August 2009, and the third film premiere followed on the same day as the Japanese premiere on 28 August 2009.
Part 1 received its US DVD release on 11 December 2009. A launch event was held at the New People cinema in San Francisco with a theatrical screening. Part 2's DVD release had a similar launch event on 9 February 2010 with a one-night-only theatrical screening. Part 3 has a launch event & theatrical screening scheduled at New People on 20 May 2010.
Entire series broadcast by NHK on its TV Japan channel airing on consecutive Saturdays beginning November 13, 2010.