STACK #243 January 2025

HIGHLIGHTS 4K UHD

THE LATEST

Words Michael Caverzan

ONE PIECE FILM: RED Part musical, part anime action

SAMURAI CHAMPLOO Set during the Edo period of Japanese history, Samurai Champloo follows the unlikely

SPACE DANDY A fashionable bounty hunter named Dandy, accompanied by his robotic assistant QT and feline friend

adventure, One Piece Film: Red follows Luffy to the island of Elegia, where he reunites with a long-lost companion

duo Mugen, a fierce, dancing

Meow, travels the length and breadth of the stars in

warrior, and Jin, a powerful samurai,

named Uta. She’s an incredible songstress with an otherworldly voice, and it is this voice that gives her the power to conjure up anything she can dream of. When her plans to change the world go against the morals of the Straw Hat Pirates, Luffy and co. are forced to navigate a dream world full of untold dangers if they want to survive and save the people trapped there. 4K | Available Jan 8

when they are brought together by a special request from Fuu, who asks for their help tracking down another samurai from her past. It’s lovingly animated, with scenes woven from a rich tapestry of Japanese art and culture. The three of them travel throughout the Japanese countryside and grow from rivals to friends and then on to something more akin to a family, concluding in a wonderful expression of shared gratitude. Blu-ray | Available Jan 8

search of unique and rare life forms. They get up to all sorts of mischief in their quest across the stars that even takes them to the edge of the universe. Dandy and co. aren’t the only ones searching for valuable creatures, though, which places them squarely in the path of danger. It’s fun, and just like Studio Bones’ other works, is an unforgettable adventure. Blu-ray | Available Jan 15

PSYCHO - PASS 1, 2, AND PROVIDENCE

I n 22nd-century Japan, the Sibyl System evaluates each citizen’s propensity for crime. This information is then recorded on the person’s psycho-pass, information which can then be extracted by inspectors who are the strong arm of the law authorised to use lethal force on anyone with even the slightest presence of malfeasance. Protagonist Akane Tsunemori has the utmost confidence in the system, and alongside venerated Enforcer Shinya, she works to uphold the systems that define their world. Naturally, things are not quite what they seem, and Akane’s faith in the system

is soon shaken to its core. Psycho-Pass as a series explores the nature of justice and if it can ever be truly meted out. If the systems in place can be manipulated at any point, are they truly moral? The first season is a deep dive into the meaning of justice and what it takes to uphold it. The second season takes it further and forces Akane to reckon with a powerful villain capable of manipulating the system to ensure it delivers their own view of what is right. The film, Psycho-Pass: Providence brings back someone from Akane’s past who creates friction

when they are forced to work together to maintain the integrity of the Sybil System in an uncertain future. Psycho-Pass calls back to sci-fi genre giants such as Minority Report and Blade Runner , but rather than being a simple rehash of their themes, it is bolstered by them and takes similar ideas in a bold new direction. Protagonist Akane is wonderfully realised, as is the world she lives in, blending crime with a rich cyberpunk aesthetic to make a series that is as fun as it is dark and brooding.

Blu-ray | Available Jan 15

Blu-ray | Available Jan 15

Blu-ray | Available Jan 15

4K (Limited Edition) | Available Jan 15

DVD | Available Jan 15

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