Aniplex of America announced at the company’s Anime Boston panel that the Sword Art Online television anime series will air on Adult Swim’s Toonami block starting in August 2013.
The company also announced that the company will be releasing Sword Art Online in four limited edition Blu-ray Disc sets and four standard edition DVD sets, and that the sets will ship on August 13, September 17, October 15, and November 19, 2013. Pre-orders will be available at both Right Stuf and at Aniplex’s site beginning on May 28, 2013.
The Blu-ray sets will come with a soundtrack CD on volumes 1 and 3, English cast interviews on volumes 2 and 4, a 16-page booklet, illustration pin-ups, and Bushiroad collectible cards. The Blu-ray sets will also include audio commentary by the creators and Japanese staff, and the “Sword Art OFFline” special animation. The Blu-ray Discs are packaged in a rigid box with illustrations by original character designer abec, and will include clear Blu-ray Disc cases with double-sided wraps of Japanese cover designs. Both the Blu-rays and the DVDs will include Japanese and English audio, and English and Spanish subtitles. The DVD sets will also feature a mini pin-up poster, an O-sleeve case, and a clear DVD case with double-sided wraps of Japanese cover designs.
Each Blu-ray box will retail for US$112.98, but will have a store price of US$89.98. Each DVD set will retail for US$49.98, but will have a store price of US$39.98.
Aniplex will also release Blue Exorcist on Blu-ray Disc and DVD in two sets on July 9 and September 10, 2013. Pre-orders will be available starting on May 28, 2013.
The Blu-ray Disc sets will include an original soundtrack CD, a DVD featuring interviews with the English cast, a box illustrated by manga creator Kazue KatÅ, clear Blu-ray Disc cases with double-sided wraps of Japanese cover design, and a 36-page booklet. Both the Blu-ray Disc and DVD versions of the release will include the unaired special episode, “Kuro Runs Away From Home,” the “Ura-Eku” short clips, “web version preview” videos, and trailer collections.
The Blu-ray Disc sets will retail for US$174.98, but will have a store price of US$139.98. The DVD sets will retail for US$79.98 but will have a store price of US$69.98.
