Anime distributor AnimEigo and parent company MediaOCD have announced the upcoming home media Blu-ray release of Hotori – Simply Wishing for Hope on June 9th.
This is a touching story of a friendship between an android and a young girl suffering from progressive memory loss. As their bond grows stronger, the film explores how people become the product of their experiences and ultimately how these memories can define what it means to be human, even if in the case of the android, that existence is artificial. Based on an award-winning short story by author Maya Miyazaki, this emotional masterpiece has never been released on video in any country, until now. The Blu-ray release from AnimEigo features a crisp HD restoration and a brand-new English dub.
Pre-orders are available at: https://www.mediaocd.com/product-page/hotori-simply-wishing-for-hope-blu-ray-w-slipcover
Suzu is a young boy… or at least, he will be. Right now, he’s an android in a research facility, being imprinted with the memories of another boy who lost his life so that he can serve as a replacement for the boy’s parents.
Hotori is the daughter of the head doctor in charge of Suzu’s program. She has the opposite problem: while Suzu’s head is being filled with memories that aren’t his own, Hotori is slowly losing her own memories.
When the two strike up a friendship, Hotori asks Suzu for his help. Together, the two navigate the struggles of their situation.
Hotori originally debuted as a Japanese television special and was directed by Takashi Anno (Maison Ikkoku, Miracle Girls, Blood Reign: Curse of the Yoma) and animated by studio Sunrise. Hotori won third place at the 2004 Animax Grand Prix awards.
1080p24 HD Pillarboxed 4:3 / Running Time – 45 minutes / SRP: $19.95 / English 2.0 and Japanese 2.0 Stereo / English and Japanese Audio with English Subtitles / Region Free
Source: Press Release
