Howdy gang.  It’s day 2 of the Roll-out Riot so here are a couple new acquisitions that I can sum up in 3 words: Ninja, robots and geisha… oh my.

Firstly,

FUNimation has acquired the live-action dramatic epic  “Kamui”.

Produced by Shochiku Co. Ltd., Japan’s leading studio, “Kamui“ was released as “Kamui Gaiden” in September 2009 in Japan. An adaptation of Sanpei Shirato’s 1965 manga series of the same name, the movie is directed by Japanese Academy Award winner Yoichi Sai (“Chi to Hone”), written by Kankuro Kudo (“Ping Pong”) and stars Kenichi Matsuyama (“Detroit Metal City”, “Death Note”).

About Shochiku
Founded in 1895, Shochiku has established itself as a leading entertainment firm. Shochiku produces, distributes, and exhibits motion pictures as well as TV programs and has also become a symbol of enduring tradition as the exclusive promoter of kabuki theater in Japan. Recent movie productions include “Departures”, which was awarded for 81st Academy Award as Best Foreign Language Film. Shochiku’s animation lineup includes “VEXILLE”, “Summer Days with Coo”, “Sketchbook”, “Le Chevalier D’Eon”, “Sengoku Basara” and more.

About Kamui Gaiden
It is 17th century Japan and Kamui is a Fugitive Ninja on the run. He despises the lethal laws of the Ninja where he must use his skills to kill others, and is in search for true freedom. However, he is now hunted by his fellow ninjas as they must eliminate him for his betrayal. In order to live, he must constantly fight for his life and distrust others. An incident brings him to a fisherman’s family, where he finally starts to open up to other people. Meanwhile, those hunting him are setting their trap.

You can view our splash page at www.funimation.com/kamui.

You can also visit the Japanese site (it would help if you’re able to read Japanese) for more information and to watch the Japanese trailer.  Ninja goodness.
http://kamuigaiden.jp/
http://www.kamuigaiden.jp/movies/trailer.html

Also,

FUNimation has acquired the live-action splatter comedy  “RoboGeisha”.

Produced by RoboGeisha Film Partners (T.O Entertainment, Inc., Pony Canyon, Inc., Movie Gate Co., Ltd., Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.), “RoboGeisha” was released in Japanese theatres in October 2009.  Written and directed by Noboru Iguchi (“Machine Girl”), “RoboGeisha” stars Aya Kiguchi, Hitomi Hasegawa, Takumi Saito, Naoto Takenaka, Matsuo Suzuki, Etsuko Ikuta  and Asami Kumakiri.

About T.O. Entertainment
Since its inception in 2003, T.O. Entertainment has maintained a very internationally oriented focus, with branch offices located in South Korea, the United Kingdom, and Singapore. The company has introduced multiple anime series (“Straight Jacket”, “Polyphonica”, etc) and full-length films (“King Of Tokyo”, “EggMan”, “RoboGeisha”, etc) with the goal of introducing Japanese entertainment to the rest of the world.

About RoboGeisha
Yoshie is the younger sister and attendant of a geisha . One day, the sisters are invited to a dinner party by a customer, the son of the president of Kageno Iron Corporation. They are kidnapped and then trained to be assassins by the company president. Yoshie, who shows promise as an assassin, then begins to doubt the motives of the group.

Again, this stuff is so new we currently just have the splash page at www.funimation.com/robogeisha.

You definitely need to check out the Official Japanese website and watch the Japanese trailer to get a good grasp of just how ridiculously awesome this movie is.
http://www.robogeisha.com/