Anime on VHS that never came out on DVD
 

This is a list of 50 Anime VHS tapes in my collection that have had no R1 DVD release (as far as I can determine). Where possible, I’ve listed the company that released the VHS.

If any of you know of a legit R1 DVD release of any of these, I’d be grateful for the info.

Also, if you have Anime VHS tapes in your collection that received a VHS release in the U.S. but have had no R1 DVD release, and that are not on this list, I’d appreciate seeing your lists as well, even if it's only a handful of titles, just so I can know the full range of titles not available on DVD. Thank you.

(On an interesting side note--of the numerous anime VHS titles I have that did get R1 DVD releases, most of those DVDs are now out-of-print.)


ADIEU GALAXY EXPRESS 999 (1981) Viz Video
THE ADVENTURES OF ULTRAMAN (1981) no company i.d. visible
AI CITY (1986) The Right Stuf
ANIMATED CLASSICS OF JAPANESE LITERATURE (1986) 12 of the 37 episodes are on DVD, but 25 are not / those 12 eps. are on 4 DVDs from Central Park Media and all are OOP (out-of-print).
CALL OF THE WILD (1981) Harmony Gold/Vestron Video
CAPTAIN FUTURE (1978) Media Home Entertainment
CAPTAIN HARLOCK – there IS a DVD from East West, but I’m guessing it’s a bootleg of the English dub released by Family Home Entertainment.
DALLOS (1983) Best Film & Video Corp.
DANCOUGAR/ (SUPER BESTIAL MACHINE GOD) DANCOUGAR (1985) Software Sculptors
DANGAIO, Pt. 1 (1987) / DANGAIO, Pt. 2 (1988); DANGAIO, Pt. 3 (1989) U.S. Renditions / (Manga released all three parts edited together in a shortened version called DANGAIOH on DVD, but never the originals)
END OF SUMMER (1994) ADV
END OF SUMMER 2 (1995) Soft Cel Pictures
GALAXY EXPRESS 999 Movie (1979) Viz Video
GENESIS SURVIVER GAIARTH (1992) AnimEigo
GOKU: MIDNIGHT EYE GOKU (1989) (aka MIDNIGHT EYE GOKU) Urban Vision
GREAT CONQUEST: ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS (1992) Streamline Pictures/Orion Home Video
A JOURNEY THROUGH FAIRYLAND (1985) Sanrio/Celebrity Home Entertainment
LEDA: THE FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF YOHKO (1985) (Right Stuf)
LEGEND OF THE FOREST (1987) (Right Stuf)
LENSMAN (1984) Streamline Pictures
LITTLE WOMEN (1980) Harmony Gold / Children’s Video Library
LITTLE WOMEN (1981) Sony
LITTLE WOMEN: ANGEL IN BOOTS (1981) Sony
LITTLE WOMEN: JO’S BOYFRIEND (1981) Sony
LITTLE WOMEN’S CHRISTMAS STORY (1987) Video Treasures
THE LITTLEST WARRIOR (1961) (dubbed 70 min. version of ANJU TO ZUSHIOMARU) Family Home Entertainment
LOCKE THE SUPERPOWER (1984) (dubbed version of LOCKE THE SUPERMAN) Celebrity Home Entertainment
MACRON 1: FLIGHT OF THE BATTLE ROBOTS (1985) Celebrity Home Entertainment
MACRON 1: DARK DISCOVERY IN A NEW WORLD (1985) Celebrity Home Entertainment
NINJA THE WONDER BOY (1979) Paramount Home Video
OGRE SLAYER (1994) Viz Video
OLYMPIC FABLE: RUN FOR LIFE (1981) Children’s Video Library
PHOENIX 2772 (1980) Best Film & Video Corp.
PSYCHO DIVER (1997) Urban Vision
RAIL OF THE STAR (1993) ADV
RAVEN TENGU KABUTO (1992) L.A. Hero
RENEGADE FORCE (aka MAGNE ROBOT GAIKIN) (1976) LD Video Productions
ROBOTECH II: THE SENTINELS (1986) Streamline Pictures
SANCTUARY: THE MOVIE (1996) Viz Video
SHADOW WORLD (aka UFO DAI APOLLON) (1976) Hi-Tops Video
SOHRYUDEN: LEGEND OF THE DRAGON KINGS (1991) U.S. Manga Corps
SPACE ADVENTURE COBRA (movie, 1982) Urban Vision
SPACE WARRIORS BALDIOS (1981) Best Film & Video Corp.
SPACED-OUT JAPANIMATION: Spaceketeers, Starvengers, Grandizer, Gaiking (1975-76/Parade Video) No DVD, but still in print on VHS on Amazon.
SUPER DIMENSION CENTURY ORGUSS (1983) U.S. Renditions
THE TALE OF GENJI (1987) Central Park Media
TECHNO POLICE 21C (1982) Best Film & Video Corp.
TOKYO VICE (1988) AnimeWorks
THE WILD SWANS (1984) RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video

+ this film from Studio Ghibli that was shown on TCM as part of their Ghibli tribute in 2006, but never released in any format in the U.S., even though Disney has the right to do so:
ONLY YESTERDAY / OMOIDE PORO PORO (1991) Studio Ghibli / Disney (director: Isao Takahata of GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES fame)

Re: Anime on VHS that never came out on DVD
 

This was included as an extra in some of ADV's numerous Robotech sets.

ImaginAsian released Orguss through a burn-on-demand deal until their manufacturer stopped production. Copies are now notoriously hard to find.

Re: Anime on VHS that never came out on DVD
 

The Secret of the Seal.
http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Seal-VHS/dp/6302934923

It had character designs by Haruhiko Mikimoto (Robotech/Macross).

Re: Anime on VHS that never came out on DVD
 

Wow, that's a real find, Dugan. I never even heard of SECRET OF THE SEAL. I just looked it up in The Anime Encyclopedia and it was directed by Noboru Ishiguro, who directed MACROSS (Robotech). The reviews on Amazon praise it highly. Sounds like a good one to get hold of. Thank you.

Re: Anime on VHS that never came out on DVD
 

This was included in a somewhat stealth DVD release by Kino Video. It was released last year on 7/28/09. It was released under the title The Astonishing Work of Tezuka Osamu.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg
It was released on DVD as singles and a boxset by the same [now defunct] studio. The releases are obviously OOP now.

Re: Anime on VHS that never came out on DVD
 

:)

Thunderbirds 2086 is another one.
http://www.amazon.com/Thunderbirds-2...25A/ref=sr_1_5

I saw one episode, and then it never appeared in my TV guide again.

Re: Anime on VHS that never came out on DVD
 

Guyver: Out of Control is another one. I'm surprised ADV didn't stick this on one of the DVD volumes of the new series. It would've made a nice extra.

Re: Anime on VHS that never came out on DVD
 

I would love if they released Dancougar on dvd. I have the series on VHS but I am sans VCR at the moment.

Re: Anime on VHS that never came out on DVD
 

Since you seem to be including dub-only cuts, I don't think anyone's reissued
Time Fighters (Time Bokan)
Time Fighters in the Land of Fantasy
Tranzor Z (Mazinger Z... they never collected all of the episodes on tape, but I know they did have a few)

Did Viz ever release the other Takahashi stuff on DVD, like Rumic World and One Pound Gospel?

I guess both Unico films were actually out on DVD, through Sanrio, but they seem OOP and I never saw them at retail.

Re: Anime on VHS that never came out on DVD
 

Great thread! I worked in a store that sold anime on VHS way back in the day (about 15 years ago or so) and the cool thing was the owner would let me take the tapes home and watch them (so I could talk intelligently about them) as long as I re-shrink wrapped them afterwards. A little bit of a slimy practice, I'll admit. After I quit I had to go cold turkey since I didn't have the cash and hated to choose between sub (which I prefer) and dubbed (which I could watch with my then young son.)

Anime on DVD wasn't much cheaper when it first came out, but it often had dual language tracks which I found very cool. Of course that led to collecting anime and watching way too much. .

Re: Anime on VHS that never came out on DVD
 

Source

Re: Anime on VHS that never came out on DVD
 

Thank you for that list, WTK. I see on it a number of titles I have that I overlooked when going over my collection (probably because so many of them are in boxes in my closet). And thanks for linking to your source, a valuable list in itself.