Our upcoming colllection of Masaaki Yuasa's kaiba is now available for pre-order!

As promised yesterday, we have some forthcoming releases to announce. These are some of our best titles yet and we hope that you dig them as much as we do…

WELCOME TO THE NHK

Finally reaching Australian shores in June: Welcome to the NHK. Four discs, dual language, exclusive art , a damn fine slipcase…and the whole series in one package (ie: no waiting around for Part 2)!

We’re so stoked to be releasing this long awaited series and if you are unfamiliar with this one, well…I sorta envy you because you’re in for a real treat. This is an intelligent, jaw-dropping comedy (it’s painfully funny) that hints at satire, but never casts judgment on the themes it explores with a lot to say about the adverse effects of consumerism on young people. The characters are superbly crafted and interact with sincerity regardless of their shortcomings. It’s this sincerity and realism that makes Welcome to the NHK resonate with audiences and has elevated its status to become something of a modern-day classic. There’s also a lush OP song by Round Table (Chobits, Aria), so right from the first frame you know that this is anime PERFECTED. Five stars!

KAIBA

Another warped gem from the mind of Masaaki Yuasa (The Tatami Galaxy, Mindgame)! Kaiba is a dream-like fantasy world where your memories can be recorded and relived over and over again. It’s a luxury that only the privileged in society are entitled to and many people live in static sadness as their personalities and dreams are stolen for the pleasure of others.

Think Philip K Dick meets superflat love story and you’re almost there… Style-wise, Yoshitomo Nara and Koji Morimoto come to mind with a hint of vintage Osamu Tezuka and Vaughn Bode. Basically, if you’re into far-out visionary art with vivid atmospheres and full-force imagination, Kaiba is well worth your time. If you’re a fan of the recent noitaminA titles Siren released and are looking for smart anime that stays well clear of the child-pilot and short skirt clichés, THIS is one for you.

Well...it's been a flat-out couple of weeks here at Siren. The Tatami Galaxy is here and looks superb (thanks to Tristan Ceddia for his great work on that one) and part 2 of Durarara!! is also FINALLY here. We're sorry for the delay, but sometimes these things just need to squeeze those extra days/minutes/seconds in order to get the right result over the line and into your home. I almost did a Shizuo and ripped a signpost out of the ground to smash up the office, but we got there in the end...cool and calm, Celty style.

Pre-orders have shipped and a few of them with some cool little bits n' pieces from Japan! Gotta love a sweet exclusive, eh? All of the pre-orders will have received a little flyer for a giveaway on our new Facebook page...only for the month of March, too. PLUS...a little DRRR!! wall-scroll. Nothing says "i love you" more than a wall-scroll (except maybe your parents and partners and pets).

Japanese promo posters are also heading out soon. These are BIG, and are guarenteed to make even the dullest bedroom look cool. Remember the blu-tack rule...

Oh - and if you're in the mood for some reading, check out our interview with Takahiro Omori here.

We'll have some big news tomorrow regarding some VERY cool anime we'll be releasing in a few months. One of these is the best series I have seen in years, so I'm damn proud to be working on something I love. Some crafty folk have already worked this out (I'd like to know how THAT happened), so if that's you, or if you think you know BOTH of these titles (ha!), drop us an email and we'll send you out something cool!

Melbourne indie film freaks listen up: the 9th annual Angry Film Festival is on again this year at the Great Northern Hotel in Carlton! Kicking off with a showcase of international shorts on March 23rd and closing the following night with their Australian line-up. If you like your cinema "underground" but your tastes extend beyond horror/exploitation, the AFF is worth checking out.

No doubt you're aware of the situation in Japan. It's a tragic set of circumstances and its difficult to articulate the the level of anxiety and grief felt by the Japanese people and the world at large.

We're relieved to report that the people we deal with over there are safe, though their offices are not 100% fully operational due to the rolling blackouts.

Watch the NHK World stream here which is translated into English.

Our thoughts are with Japan.