Rozen Maiden - DVD

Jun Sakurada is a middle school student who has shut himself in his room and refuses to go back. He orders things online, finds loopholes to return them before paying, and maintains a wall between himself and everything outside. Then a letter appears — seemingly from nowhere, asking him simply: will you wind or will you not wind? He winds. A doll in a trunk appears in his room: Shinku, the fifth Rozen Maiden — exquisite, arrogant, imperious, and bound to Jun as her medium the moment he turns her key. She informs him that he must provide her with his life force in exchange for her protection, that he is now her servant, and that his tea preparation is unacceptable. The other Rozen Maidens begin to appear: Hina Ichigo, childlike and attached to her previous medium; Suiseiseki, suspicious and prickly; Souseiseki, her quiet and disciplined twin; and Suigintou, the broken first Maiden whose hunger for victory in the Alice Game makes her the most dangerous of them all. The Alice Game is the competition that drives the series: the Rozen Maidens are dolls created by the mysterious Father Rozen, and each is intended to compete until only one remains — the winner becoming Alice, a perfect girl who can reach their creator. Jun, who wanted nothing to do with any of this, finds himself in the middle of it.

Rozen Maiden is a 12-episode gothic fantasy drama produced by Nomad, directed by Mamoru Kanbe, written by Jukki Hanada, scored by Kousuke Yamashita, and based on Peach-Pit's manga serialized in Monthly Comic Birz under Gentosha. The series aired in Japan from October to December 2004 and was followed immediately by Rozen Maiden: Träumend (Season 2) in 2005 and the Ouvertüre OVA in 2006.

Geneon Entertainment USA released the series in North America across three individual DVD volumes in 2007 — Doll House (eps 1-4, May 29), Maiden War, and War of the Rose. Vol. 1 was also available with a velveteen artbox. Sentai Filmworks later re-licensed the franchise and released a Complete Collection DVD (Seasons 1 & 2 + Ouvertüre, December 6, 2011). 

Notable Staff & Voice Talent

Director: Mamoru Kanbe
Series Composition: Jukki Hanada
Original Manga: Peach-Pit (serialized in Monthly Comic Birz, Gentosha; English license: Tokyopop / Seven Seas Entertainment)
Studio: Nomad
Music: Kousuke Yamashita
Opening Theme: "Kinjirareta Asobi" by ALI PROJECT
Ending Theme: "Tooi Michi no Saki de" by Kukui

Japanese Cast:
- Miyuki Sawashiro as Shinku
- Nana Mizuki as Suigintou
- Yumi Shimura as Hina Ichigo
- Yoko Asada as Suiseiseki
- Rie Tanaka as Souseiseki
- Asami Sanada as Jun Sakurada
- Tomoko Kawakami as Nori Sakurada

English Dub Cast (Geneon / New Generation Pictures):
- Mela Lee as Shinku
- Mia Bradley as Suigintou
- Sherry Lynn as Hina Ichigo
- Reba West as Suiseiseki
- Julie Ann Taylor as Souseiseki
- Mona Marshall as Jun Sakurada
- Minx Lee as Nori Sakurada

DVD Features (Geneon Entertainment USA, 3-Volume Set, 2007)

- Vol. 1 - Doll House (eps 1-4, May 29, 2007): Textless Opening Animation
- Vol. 2 - Maiden War (eps 5-8, July 10, 2007): Textless Ending Animation
- Vol. 3 - War of the Rose (eps 9-12, August 28, 2007)
- Vol. 1 also available with velveteen artbox
- Geneon Entertainment Previews
- Note: Season 2 (Träumend) and Ouvertüre OVA sold separately. Sentai Filmworks re-released complete collection December 6, 2011.

Spoken Languages: English & Japanese Audio, English Subtitles

Edition Details

Japanese Title: ローゼンメイデン (Rozen Maiden)
Original Japanese Broadcast: 2004 (October 7 - December 23, TV Tokyo)
Runtime: 300 Minutes (Season 1, 12 Episodes, 3 DVDs)
Director: Mamoru Kanbe
DVD Release Year: 2007 (U.S. 3-Volume Release, May - August — Geneon Entertainment USA)
Publisher: Geneon Entertainment USA (out of print); Sentai Filmworks (current license holder)
Rating: 13+
Region: Region 1 (U.S. / Canada)
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama
Themes: Gothic Lolita, Hikikomori, Magic, Living Dolls

Media assumed VG+ unless otherwise noted.

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