Criterion Adds Anime To Streaming Library In August

Criterion has announced in its latest update for August that it will begin to add selected anime to the Criterion Channel streaming service under its own dedicated section. The film distributor had previously dabbled in anime nearly 33 years ago when it handled the US LaserDisc release of the Akira feature film, to date its only anime-related physical release. The addition of a dedicated anime channel on its streaming service marks a shift for Criterion, which preferred to focus on live-action Japanese independent film and director collections following the Akira release. The initial list of titles follows below:

• Ghost in the Shell (1995)
• Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space (2002)
• Paprika (2006)
• Redline (2009)

The release of Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space marks the first time the OVA has been released in the US, as its sequel Tamala 2030 is screening during this year’s installment of Fantasia Fest, currently underway until August 3rd in Canada.