{"product_id":"masamune-shirows-gundess-dvd","title":"Masamune Shirow's Gundress DVD","description":"In the year 2100, Japan's premier international port is Bayside City — a gleaming new metropolis built on reclaimed land still recovering from two devastating earthquakes. The city's position as a global trade hub makes it a magnet for arms dealers, terrorists, and criminal organizations. Angel Arms is an unofficial private security unit established by former policewoman Takako Houraiji: six women operating outside normal law enforcement channels, equipped with Land Mate powered armor suits — compact, maneuverable mecha that share design DNA with the suits from the Appleseed universe. When an arms dealer named Hassan arrives in Bayside with a dangerous cargo and a hit squad of corrupt government officials on his trail, Angel Arms is deployed to protect him. The case becomes personal when the hit squad is led by Jean-Luc — the ex-lover and former partner of Alissa, Angel Arms' most powerful and most uncooperative member, who is a cyborg and whose past with Jean-Luc is considerably more complicated than her teammates know.\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nGundress is one of anime history's most notorious production disasters. Funded by Nikkatsu — the legendary Japanese studio attempting to expand into anime — and nominally based on concept art by Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell, Dominion Tank Police, Appleseed), the film suffered from poor communication between production units, inexperienced staff, catastrophic budget overruns, and an eventual release to Japanese theaters on March 20, 1999 in a visibly unfinished state. Many staff left the anime industry following its failure, and it has been described as one of the biggest box-office bombs in anime history. A completed version five minutes longer than the theatrical cut was later produced and included on a limited Japanese DVD run of only 5,000 copies. The North American DVD released by Media Blasters (Anime Works) on June 25, 2002 presents the completed version of the film and includes the original unfinished theatrical version as a bonus. The Shirow connection, the cult infamy of its production history, and the Appleseed-adjacent Land Mate designs have sustained a niche collector following.\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eNotable Staff \u0026amp; Voice Talent\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eDirectors:\u003c\/b\u003e Junichi Sakai, Katsuyoshi Yatabe, Kazumasa Fujiie \u0026amp; Kentaro Izaki\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eOriginal Concept \/ Character Design Basis:\u003c\/b\u003e Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell, Dominion Tank Police, Appleseed)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eStudio:\u003c\/b\u003e Studio Junio \/ Nikkatsu\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eMusic:\u003c\/b\u003e Yutaka Tominaga\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eJapanese Cast:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n- Masako Katsuki as Takako Houraiji\u003cbr\u003e\n- Rie Ishizuka as Alissa\u003cbr\u003e\n- Tomoko Kawakami as additional cast (Battle Athletes, A Little Snow Fairy Sugar, Gate Keepers, Z.O.E. Dolores I, Angelic Layer)\u003cbr\u003e\n- Akemi Okamura as additional cast (One Piece, Now and Then Here and There, Arc the Lad)\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eEnglish Dub Cast (Media Blasters — Los Angeles):\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n- Bridget Hoffman as Takako Houraiji (Mahoromatic, Nightwalker, Fushigi Yugi, Descendants of Darkness, Ah My Goddess, Arc the Lad)\u003cbr\u003e\n- Janine Brown as Alissa\u003cbr\u003e\n- Mari Devon as additional cast (Nightwalker)\u003cbr\u003e\n- Lex Lang as Shiberagi \/ Kelvelos (Gestalt, Rurouni Kenshin, Gundress)\u003cbr\u003e\n- Dave Mallow as Serem \/ Head (Kurogane Communication)\u003cbr\u003e\n- Michael McConnohie as Goman \/ Secretary (Megazone 23 Part 1 — Streamline dub)\u003cbr\u003e\n- Jamieson Price as additional cast\u003cbr\u003e\n- Ron Allen as Hassan \/ Kazama\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eDVD Features\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n- Completed Version of the Film (main feature)\u003cbr\u003e\n- Original Unfinished 1999 Theatrical Version (bonus)\u003cbr\u003e\n- Media Blasters \/ Anime Works Previews\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eSpoken Languages:\u003c\/b\u003e English \u0026amp; Japanese Audio, English Subtitles\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eEdition Details\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eJapanese Title:\u003c\/b\u003e ガンドレス (Gandoresu)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eRuntime:\u003c\/b\u003e ~84 Minutes (Completed Version)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eDirectors:\u003c\/b\u003e Junichi Sakai, Katsuyoshi Yatabe, Kazumasa Fujiie \u0026amp; Kentaro Izaki\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eDVD Release Year:\u003c\/b\u003e 2002 (U.S. Release, June 25 — Media Blasters \/ Anime Works)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eOriginal Release Date (Japan):\u003c\/b\u003e March 20, 1999 (unfinished theatrical); June 2000 (completed version, limited 5,000-copy Japanese DVD)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Media Blasters (Anime Works)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eRating:\u003c\/b\u003e 16+\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eRegion:\u003c\/b\u003e Region 1 (U.S. \/ Canada)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eNote:\u003c\/b\u003e Includes both the completed version and the original unfinished 1999 theatrical cut as a bonus. Based on concept art by Masamune Shirow. One of anime history's most notorious production disasters and box-office failures.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eGenre:\u003c\/b\u003e Sci-Fi, Action, Mecha\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThemes:\u003c\/b\u003e Powered Armor Women, Bayside City 2100, Arms Dealer Conspiracy, Masamune Shirow Aesthetic, Appleseed Land Mates Connection\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nMedia assumed VG+ unless otherwise noted.","brand":"Pre-Owned","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42510300643413,"sku":null,"price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0565\/7673\/7365\/files\/1630181D-46EE-4B22-8043-858A4D4B0580.jpg?v=1787190223","url":"https:\/\/hifilofi.shop\/products\/masamune-shirows-gundess-dvd","provider":"HiFi LoFi","version":"1.0","type":"link"}