Yoshiaki Kawajiri's 1993 film Ninja Scroll received a 4K restoration supervised by Kawajiri, and his 2000 film Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is set for North American screenings and releases.
Two of Yoshiaki Kawajiri's feature films are in the news in 2026. Ninja Scroll, his 1993 anime film, has received a full 4K restoration produced by AMC Networks' Sentai Filmworks. The remastered version, sourced from a 4K scan of the original 35 mm camera negative, will world premiere at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival in the Berlinale Classics section on February 15. The restoration was completed under Kawajiri's supervision and involved frame-by-frame cleanup and color correction to create a new archival master.
His 2000 film Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, directed at Madhouse, is also getting renewed attention. GKIDS has acquired North American rights and will screen the Japanese-language version with English subtitles in select theaters this fall, ahead of theatrical and home entertainment releases planned for 2027. The film is based on Hideyuki Kikuchi's novel series and follows D, a half-vampire hunter hired to rescue a woman abducted by the vampire Baron Meier Link.
The two stories together show Kawajiri's work being revisited in different ways: one through a high-end archival restoration that places his 1993 film in a prestigious festival lineup, and the other through a new North American release that presents his 2000 film in its original Japanese language, a notable shift from its prior English-dubbed home video editions.
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Aug 27
GKIDS announced on Saturday that it has acquired North American rights to two films: the Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust anime and the live-action adaptation of Makoto Shinkai's 5 Centimeters per Second. The distributor will screen the Japanese-language version of Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust with English subtitles in select theaters this fall, ahead of theatrical and home entertainment releases planned for 2027. The 2000 film, directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri at Madhouse, is based on Hideyuki Kikuchi's novel series and follows D, a half-vampire hunter hired to rescue a woman abducted by the vampire Baron Meier Link. Cartoon Brew notes the film was developed with an international audience in mind, with its English soundtrack recorded in Los Angeles before Japanese dialogue was completed. GKIDS will also screen the live-action 5 Centimeters per Second in North American theaters. That film opened in Japan in October 2025, ranking second in its opening weekend with 278,000 tickets sold and 420 million yen earned in three days. SixTONES member Hokuto Matsumura stars, Yoshiyuki Okuyama directs, and Kenshi Yonezu performs the theme song.
May 30
Yoshiaki Kawajiri's 1993 anime film "Ninja Scroll" has received a full 4K restoration produced by AMC Networks' Sentai Filmworks. The remastered version, sourced from a 4K scan of the original 35 mm camera negative, will world premiere at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival in the Berlinale Classics section on February 15. Additional screenings are scheduled for February 16 and 22. The restoration was completed under Kawajiri's supervision and involved frame-by-frame cleanup and color correction to create a new archival master. Sentai president John Ledford said the upgraded version offers an experience comparable to seeing the film for the first time. Sentai plans to release the restoration as a limited-edition 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook in early 2027. The film's inclusion in the Berlinale Classics lineup highlights its status as a landmark of adult-oriented Japanese animation.