5d ago
GKIDS issued a statement Thursday apologizing for incorrectly timed English subtitles during screenings of The Last Blossom last Sunday, which led to cancellations on Monday. The company pulled affected shows from sale, issued refunds, and delivered a corrected version Monday, though some theaters could not update in time. GKIDS is reviewing options including makeup screenings. It also confirmed cocoon will open September 4 as planned.
Aug 28
The Last Blossom, the first original feature-length anime from Odd Taxi director Baku Kinoshita, opens in select U.S. theaters this weekend. GKIDS, the film's North American distributor, is releasing it for two nights only, August 30 and 31, in Japanese with English subtitles. The film premiered in competition at the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival before opening in Japan last October under the title Housenka. The story follows Akutsu, a former yakuza serving a life sentence, who recounts his life to a sarcastic talking flower growing from a tin can. Kinoshita directed and designed the characters, reuniting with Odd Taxi writer Kazuya Konomoto, who wrote the original story and screenplay. Animation was handled by Studio CLAP, known for Pompo the Cinephile. In an interview with Anime Herald, Kinoshita discussed his interest in criminals as people who live in the moment, the Balsam flower as a wiser-than-human philosopher, and why the song Stand By Me appears in the film. He also noted that he currently leans toward television work because it offers more room to develop stories.
Jun 10
GKIDS will screen Baku Kinoshita and Kadzuya Konomoto's original anime film The Last Blossom in U.S. theaters on August 30-31. The film, which opened in Japan on October 10 and played at Annecy in 2025, follows a dying former yakuza reminiscing with a talking flower. CLAP handled animation production.