Hunting the Elusive

According to the Makoto Shinkai fanweb, official news has slated for both the normal and limited editions to appear on the Japanese market on the 19th of July 2007, with the normal edition only containing one DVD and a 8-page booklet, albeit at 3990 yen (3000 yen cheaper than the limited edition). As more information has emerged, it seems to me that any Makoto Shinkai fan should be well and truly ASHAMED if they got the regular DVD :P

The bonus storyboard with the Limited Box is voiced by Makoto Shinkai himself and a female production staff as a temporary "testing" guide, a reminder back in the days of Hoshi no Koe where there was a Director-voiced version too (and no, to dispel the romantic myth once and for all, the female voice actress wasn't his wife. Makoto Shinkai was and remains single).

Additionally, the music video for "One More Time One More Chance" for promotion of Byousoku 5cm was also made (though his blog says "hurriedly spliced together") by Makoto Shinkai (i.e.: delicious animation whooo), and contains "one or two other cuts which were not in the movie". This music video has already been aired on Japanese TV by some TV shows. Now it's just a matter of waiting for the TV rips to emerge. Unfortunately for us (who have not watched the movie), since it is a compiled collection of clips from the movie, it will be spoilertastic. To watch now or to watch later will be our dilemma.

Bad news for the rich kids with Blu-Ray/HD-DVD equipment: no version of the movie has been planned for the HD media as yet, though of course viewing it in HD would add to the experience, so we'll see. Because Makoto Shinkai's release history isn't like Studio Rikka's (Pale Cocoon OST DOKO???!), we should expect a Blu-Rei/HD-DVD version once the DVD sales are proven (yeah, I just called it "Blu-Rei" :P).