Anime distributor AnimEigo, together with its parent company MediaOCD, has announced the upcoming Blu-ray home media release of The Dagger of Kamui. The classic anime film is scheduled to arrive on April 7, bringing the 1985 title back to audiences in a new high-definition edition.
Originally released in 1985, The Dagger of Kamui is based on the novel series written by Tetsu Yano. The story follows Jiro, an orphan who is trained in the arts of ninjutsu and sets out on a quest for revenge after his adoptive family is murdered.
Armed with a mysterious dagger, Jiro pursues the priest responsible for the tragedy. As his journey unfolds, he becomes entangled in a larger conspiracy involving hidden treasure, his Ainu heritage, and a journey that eventually stretches beyond Japan to the American Old West.
The film was directed by the legendary Rintaro, known for works such as Kimba The White Lion, Galaxy Express 999, and Astro Boy Metropolis. Production was handled by the well-known anime studio Madhouse.
The project also features the work of acclaimed art director Mukuo Takamura, whose credits include Adieu Galaxy Express 999 and Sailor Moon. With its strong creative team and action-driven storytelling, the film has remained a notable entry in classic anime cinema.
Pre-orders for the Blu-ray release are currently available through MediaOCD’s official store, and a trailer for the upcoming release has also been made available online.
“Revenge is a dish best served cold!”
On the eve of the Meiji restoration, as a slumbering Japan awakens and turns its eyes westward, an innkeeper finds a baby named Jiro in a drifting boat; his only companion a glittering blade, the Dagger of Kamui.
When Jiro is thirteen, his adoptive family is murdered and Jiro is blamed, only to be rescued by Tenkai, a priest, who trains him in the mysterious arts of the Ninja. Seeking revenge for the loss of his adoptive family, Jiro kills the mysterious one-armed Ninja who reportedly slew them.
Years later, acting on a tip from Tenkai, Jiro tracks down his real mother, only to learn that Tenkai had tasked his father with finding a clue to the lost treasure of Captain Kidd.
With the treasure in hand, the Shogun will be able to retain control, and Japan will once again isolate itself from the world. However, his father fell in love, abandoned the search, and had a child – and for this failure, Tenkai exacted a terrible revenge!
Now the chase begins, as Jiro, with only the Dagger of Kamui to help him, searches for the great treasure, a search that will take him all the way to the American Old West, with Tenkai’s minions always close behind. If Jiro can find the treasure and return to Japan, then, perhaps, Jiro can exact his revenge and thrust the Dagger of Kamui into Tenkai’s black heart!
The film is also notable for its impressive hand-drawn sakuga sequences. These scenes showcase exceptionally fluid and detailed animation created by skilled key animators working closely with art director Mukuo Takamura to enhance and intensify the film’s action moments.
The Dagger of Kamui features the voices of Hiroyuki Sanada (FX’s Shogun) and Mami Koyama (Akira, Millennium Actress). The AnimEigo home media edition presents the film in 1080p HD widescreen and includes both Japanese and English mono audio options in DTS Master Audio, along with English and English SDH subtitle tracks.
The Blu-ray release will also include extensive liner notes as well as a special slipcover.
The Dagger of Kamui Blu-ray Features
- $29.95 SRP
- Newly recorded director’s commentary track
- Original theatrical trailers
- Storyboards for the entire feature
- Art galleries
- For ages 13 and up
1080p HD / 4:3 Full Screen / Running Time – 132 minutes / English 2.0 Dual Mono DTS Master Audio / Japanese 2.0 Dual Mono DTS Master Audio / English subtitles / Region Free
