The 1995 anime omnibus film MEMORIES, which was created by Akira‘s Katsuhiro Otomo and had directorial contributions from Koji Morimoto (Robot Carnival, Noiseman Sound Insect,18if) and Tensai Okamura (Darker Than Black, Wolf’s Rain, My Hero Academia: You’re Next), has been remastered in 4K.
MEMORIES‘ 4K remaster will have a two-week screening in Japan from November 28 JST, as well as a special limited edition Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray (UHD BD + BD) set with Japanese and English subtitle options that will go on sale on December 24 JST.
The 4K UHD BD + BD set has a price tag of 15,400 yen (~US$104) with tax included. It will come with the layouts and storyboards of Morimoto’s “Magnetic Rose” (“Kanojo no Omoide”) and the voice recording scripts of all three of the omnibus’ titles, the other two being Okamura’s “Stink Bomb” (‘Saishuu Heiki”) and Otomo’s “Cannon Fodder” (“Taiho no Machi”).
In 2021, Discotek Media released a Blu-ray of MEMORIES with an English dub option. Its descriptions of the three shorts’ respective premises reads:
Magnetic Rose
Alone on a mysterious ship in deepest space, she waits. Once a beloved diva, she is now nothing more than memories. And for unsuspecting travelers that respond to her beacon, she will be their undoing.
Stink Bomb
A junior scientist gets the flu, and decides to try out some newly developed pills. But he takes the wrong ones, turning him into a walking, talking, and exceptionally clueless weapon of mass destruction.
Cannon Fodder
A day in the life of a small family in a big city. In this city, there is only war. There are no dreams, there is only labor. And there is no god, only a gigantic cannon.
The animation production studios for MEMORIES were STUDIO4℃ (“Magnetic Rose” and “Cannon Fodder”) and Madhouse (“Stink Bomb”). Aside from the original work credit, Otomo is also credited as the omnibus’ executive producer (seisaku soushiki) and chief director.
Sources: EMOTION Label Channel, press release
