Right Stuf's Nozomi Entertainment has announced three upcoming releases, both “mini-sets” of anime based on classic Osamu Tezuka manga.
The first two are mini-sets of Tezuka's Astro Boy anime, five discs each with a total of 50 episodes-- but note that they do NOT have the original Japanese audio tracks. The reason for this is that it's an edit that was made for American TV, and the Japanese audio no longer fits it, essentially. That said, it's $49.99 for each 25-episode mini-set.
The same is true of the Kimba the White Lion (also known as Jungle Emperor Leo) anime, which is also being released as a mini-set, $49.99 for 25 episodes and which also features only the original dub.
Anime purists may balk at buying a release with no Japanese track, but before you jump straight to that, be sure to listen to the Anime Today podcast episodes featuring Fred Ladd and Frederik Schodt , both Tezuka scholars who talk extensively about the edits made and Tezuka's own response to them.
And you should also consider another factor: who will be watching? If you're buying for yourself, of course a preference for the Japanese dub should factor in. But I'M considering picking these up for my niece, who at 2 is probably a little young for them still, but she'll grow into it. MY first anime was a kid-oriented Tezuka series, after all-- Unico.
