Now available on Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack & Digital Download!
The Unboxer is waxing poetic. After a long period of isolation in the idyllic wilderness, he is torn between his current life as a peaceful hermit and the good old days of Blu-ray collecting. Today The Unboxer shares one of his “lost episodes,” an unboxing of Studio Ponoc’s Modest Heroes on Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack!
Studio Ponoc was founded by two-time Academy Award-nominated producer, Yoshiaki Nishimura, whose credits include The Tale of The Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There. The studio takes its name from the Croatian word “ponoć,” meaning “midnight.” Though it was founded in 2015, Studio Ponoc draws on many animators from Studio Ghibli, including Hiromasa Yonebayashi, the director of When Marnie Was There and The Secret World of Arrietty. The combination of deep experience combined with a fresh drive to prove themselves led to an immediate splash with their acclaimed debut film Mary and The Witch’s Flower.
The studio’s sophomore outing is Modest Heroes, an ambitious anthology of three thrilling tales created by some of the greatest talents working in Japanese animation today.
The first short is “Kanini & Kanino,” written and directed by Academy Award-nominated director Hiromasa Yonebayashi. The story follows two crab children as they go on a journey to find their father after a storm separates them.
The second story is “Life Ain’t Gonna Lose” written and directed by Yoshiyuki Momose, a veteran Studio Ghibli animator. In this tale, a boy named Shun and his mother navigate the ups and downs of being a kid, who happens to have a life threatening egg allergy.
Finally we have “Invisible,” directed by Akihiko Yamashita, key animator on many Hayao Miyazaki films. “Invisible” introduces us to a salaryman who is, well, invisible to the rest of the world. He struggles to stay grounded when it seems like nothing he does is noticed until– you’ll have to watch it to see what happens!
On the front of the Combo Pack, you’ll find art from the three short films included, showing off the varied but equally gorgeous animation styles. Both discs include Japanese and English audio as well as subtitles in English, English SDH & Spanish.
Speaking of discs, both of them come packed with all the included bonus features! The first is “The Modest Heroes of Studio Ponoc” which features an interview with producer and Studio Ponoc founder Yoshiaki Nishimura going behind the scenes of the inception and creation of Modest Heroes.
Also included is a press conference following the completion of the anthology, some interviews with the Japanese cast, an art gallery featuring the beautiful concept art from each of the films, and trailers and TV spots from the promotion of the work.
To get a closer look at the Combo Pack and its bonus features, check out the full episode of GKIDS Unboxed below! Don’t forget to like the video, subscribe to our channel, and ring that bell icon to be notified of every new upload from the GKIDS YouTube.
____________
Modest Heroes is now available on Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and Digital Download
Bonus Features:
- The Modest Heroes of Studio Ponoc
- Film Completion Press Conference
- Japanese Cast Interviews
- Art Gallery
- Trailers and TV Spots
| Run Time
53 min |
Aspect Ratio
1.85:1 |
Release Date
June 18, 2019 |
Audio
English, Japanese |
| Region
A/1 |
Rating
PG |
Production Date
2018 |
Subtitles
English, English SDH, Spanish |
AVAILABLE NOW
Want to stay up to date on what’s new with GKIDS? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.