Out This Week: Kakegurui XX, El Hazard, Ninja Robots Tobikage and More

Among this week's new home entertainment animation releases are family-friendly releases The Boss Baby 2 (UK) Surf's Up and Barnyard (in the US). Anime fans can choose anything from old school sci-fi with Ninja Robots Tobikage and Appleseed, old school fantasy rom-coms with Urusei Yatsura: Remember My Love and El Hazard (in the UK), old-school action with Kenichi The Mightiest Disciple, or something more up to date BL romance with Love Stage or High School hi-jinx with Kakegurui XX and Maestetsu! Opening Act. Plus, don't miss the best bargains in our selection of this week's best deals.

All Information and Prices Provided are Correct at publication time to the best of our knowledge but are subject to change at any time. Affiliate links used where available- making a purchase through these links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

UK Releases For January 24, 2022

The Boss Baby 2: Family Business (Universal, PG) "How many boss babies can one family hold? He may be a big-shot moneyman now, but Ted Templeton flashes back to his Boss Baby past when he and his brother Tim renew their rivalry and make a shocking discovery! Turns out, Tim’s infant daughter Tina inherited Uncle Ted’s job as an undercover BabyCorp agent. She’s on a secret mission to stop an evil plan to turn babies into brats, and she needs both brothers to help! Ted and Tim now have to turn back into kids for a hilariously outrageous adventure that reminds them of the true power of family!"

💿 FORMATS: Blu-Ray, DVD, Digital

Buy From Amazon

El Hazard Collector's Edition (Anime Ltd, 15) "Ancient ruins have been discovered beneath Makoto’s high school, but he has bigger things to deal with. He has evidence that the conniving Student Council President, Jinnai, is guilty of election fraud! But before Makoto gets his chance to testify, a strange light from the ruins transports Makoto, Jinnai, Jinnai’s sister Nanami, and their history teacher Fujisawa, to a mysterious land... the Magnificent World of El-Hazard.There, these four unwitting travellers’ find a world split by forces of good and evil, where giant insects known as the Bugrom battle against humanity, and beautiful priestesses use magic to harness the power of the elements. Nothing in El-Hazard seems to make sense, but one thing is clear: they’re caught in the middle of a fantastical war with no way home!"

💿 FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Sword Art Online Alicization: War Of Underworld Part 2 (Anime Ltd, 15) "The final load test… The war between the Human Empire and the Dark Territory has engulfed Underworld entirely. The battle has shifted course with the Dark Territory army led by Gabriel, who seeks to capture Alice, the Priestess of Light, against Asuna and the Human Empire forces fighting to save Underworld. As Kirito’s consciousness remains buried in a deep sleep, Gabriel, standing in as the Dark God Vecta, has recruited thousands of American players to log in to Underworld to annihilate the Human Empire forces.Meanwhile, Asuna, Sinon, and Leafa have joined the battle utilizing three super-accounts of the deities of the Underworld. As the Goddess of Creation Stacia, Asuna fights alongside the Human Empire forces to take on the American players in a vicious combat. Sinon, who has gained the super-account for the Sun Goddess Solus, is in pursuit of Gabriel, who has abducted Alice, while Leafa arrives to Underworld with the super-account Earth Goddess Terraria. But that is not all…The impassioned speech by Lisbeth has convinced many ALO players to join the fight with the Human Empire despite the risks. With this great war, not only Underworld’s continued existence, but the bottom-up artificial intelligence, the ultimate AI, and even the future of mankind is at stake. Though he has yet to awaken, only one man holds the fate of this world: the Black Swordsman."

💿 FORMATS: Blu-Ray LE

Buy From Amazon

US Releases For January 25, 2022

Appleseed (Discotek Media, 17+) "After the devastation of World War III, the scattered governments of the world construct the perfect city administered by perfect Biodroids - artificially created half-human half-robots. Life in Olympus is carefully controlled and monitored - and some of its human population have had enough. A dedicated band of terrorists plot to destroy Gaia, the central computer, and restore freedom to mankind. After a daring raid of a high security facility, they have the weapons and information they need to complete their mission - including the key to the end of Gaia. Will they be stopped before they ruin the dream of paradise? Appleseed takes us into the explosive world of the Extra Special Weapons and Tactics Squad of the Olympus Police Force, as they battle against those who would destroy their utopia. Join two of the finest (and most reckless) officers on the force in this high-tech animated thriller. Based on the internationally successful comic series by Masamune Shirow, Appleseed is a high-octane, action-packed race against time as the future of a civilization hangs in the balance."

💿 FORMATS: Blu-Ray+Digital

Buy From Amazon Buy From RightStuf

Barnyard (Paramount, G) "Move over, all you pretenders...here are the original party animals – the animated gang of Barnyard! This laugh-filled adventure stars Otis, a carefree cow who spends his days singing, dancing and playing tricks on humans...much to the dismay of his father, Ben. Wild, wacky and “udderly” hilarious, here’s a herd of animated pranksters that’ll keep you laughing out loud!"

💿 FORMATS: Blu-Ray+Digital

Buy From Amazon

Case Closed Sunflowers Of Inferno (Discotek Media, 13+)"Van Gogh’s seven famous paintings of sunflowers are coming to Japan as part of a glitzy exhibit! The exhibitor? None other than Jirokichi Suzuki, of the powerful Suzuki Financial Group—and uncle to Sonoko Suzuki, good friend of Ran Mori and Shinichi Kudo, a.k.a. the noted pint-sized detective Conan Edogawa. But before the first painting reaches Japan, it’s snatched away—and possibly replaced?-- by one of Conan’s most famous adversaries, the dashing and debonair Kid the Phantom Thief! To safeguard the artwork, Suzuki’s enlisted the help of seven globe-trotting experts, including Detective Charlie, a hard-boiled NYC policeman prepared to take the Kid down--by any means necessary! Can Conan solve the mystery of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers painting before Detective Charlie comes gunning for the Kid the Phantom Thief?! Sunflowers of Inferno is the nineteenth film in the blockbuster Case Closed series. Based on Gosho Aoyama’s famous manga serial, these big-screen adventures follow the gifted teenaged detective Shinichi Kudo, trapped in a much younger body and forced to use his wits, colorful inventions, and the power of friendship to solve mysteries as Detective Conan. In this impressionistic thriller, Conan must contend with the possibility of a fake Van Gogh masterpiece — and a fake Shinichi Kudo!"

💿 FORMATS: Blu-Ray+Digital

Buy From Amazon Buy From RightStuf

Kakegurui XX (Sentai Filmworks, TV-14) "Obsessive gambler Yumeko Jabami may know when to hold them and when to fold them, but knowing when to walk away and run has always eluded her. That's bad news at the insane Hyakkaou Private Academy, where students must gamble their fortunes, futures and lives in an endless series of competitions to determine who rules and who become slaves. Yumeko's razor-edged instincts, skills, and the devil's own luck have kept her going thus far, but when the ruthless Momobami clan arrives, intent on taking over the school, the stakes rise even higher while the intrigue, both in and out of the games, hits the deadliest level yet. To survive, Yumeko will have to adapt and make alliances with former enemies, knowing that every minute could result in a knife in her back as the nightmare continues in Kakegurui XX!"

💿 FORMATS: Blu-Ray+Digital

Buy From Amazon Buy From RightStuf

Kenichi The Mightiest Disciple (Discotek Media, 13+) "Kenichi’s a lot tougher than he used to be. Living in a dojo with six martial arts masters will do that to you. But thanks to his reputation as a skilled fighter, the guy’s got more problems than ever. The goons in Ragnarok are gunning for him in a big way, specially the gang’s leaders: the Eight Fists, a dangerously unpredictable crew known to play dirty. Luckily, Kenichi’s got allies like Miu by his side. She’s as tough as she is hot, and even if he still hasn’t scored with the blonde brawler, her very presence makes Kenichi train harder to be the best. Yeah, he’s come a long way - but Kenichi’s fight to be the mightiest disciple isn’t over yet."

💿 FORMATS: Blu-Ray+Digital

Buy From Amazon Buy From RightStuf

Love Stage!! (Discotek Media, 18+) "Think your life is a mess? Ten years ago, Izumi Sena appeared in a famous TV commercial. One so famous that they now want him to appear in a sequel! Which might be great except that Izumi was a very pretty young boy and his family thought it was fine to dress and make him up as a girl! Izumi's quit acting and he'd reject the job offer… his manga career is going nowhere, and, well, he's still pretty. And if swallowing his pride and dressing as a girl again wasn't bad enough, Izumi's old co-star, Ryoma Ichijo, not only still thinks that he's a she, but he's in love with her… er, him! There'll be plenty of pronounced pronoun confusion and Prime Time gender-bending ahead when the most mismatched stars ever cross paths!"

💿 FORMATS: Blu-Ray+Digital

Buy From Amazon Buy From RightStuf

Maestetsu! Opening Act (Funimation, TV-14) "When four hardworking friends pair up to chase their dream of becoming professional stand-up comedians, they quickly find out that being funny is seriously difficult! Join Fubuki, Mafuyu, Rin, Nayuta, and the rest of their hilarious pals as they overcome obstacles on the journey to achieving their ultimate goal: performing live at the Namba Grand Kagetsu!"

💿 FORMATS: Blu-Ray+Digital

Buy From Amazon Buy From RightStuf

Ninja Robots Tobikage (Discotek media, 13+) "I’m Joe Maya and this Blu-ray is all about my adventures with the Ninja Robots! What, expected normal box copy? Sorry, that’s just not how I do things, man! This is a show about robots that also happen to be ninjas, and, well, if that doesn’t seem cool to you you’re probably pretty boring. Some of the robots are orange and blue, one’s a dragon, and then there’s another one that’s the coolest one that’s also a big, gigantic ninja! That one’s mine, it’s the best one. I know, it’s a little confusing, but all you really need to know is the robots beat each other up and we say cool things while doing it. Together with my dorky bro Mike, my blue-haired buddy Jenny, and the coolest dude Damien, we use the Ninja Robots to protect Romina, the alien princess, from the forces of evil or whatever. There’s Icelander, some jerk who’s got an inferiority complex because I’m so cool; Hazzard, this dumb military guy with a toadface; and then some emperor guy who looks like Mr. Clean but talks like Dracula... No idea what that’s about, honestly. There’s a bunch of other characters, too, but they don’t really matter. What does matter is this set contains all 43 action packed episodes of Ninja Warrior Tobikage - Japanese with subtitle style, of course - as well as the long-lost English dub, Ninja Robots. What are you waiting for? Let’s do this, like, now!"

💿 FORMATS: Blu-Ray+Digital

Buy From Amazon Buy From RightStuf

Surf's Up (Sony Pictures, PG) "Come join Cody, a Rockhopper penguin, as he journeys from his home in Shiverpool, Antarctica, to take part in the Big Z Memorial Surf-Off on beautiful Pen Gu Island. During his adventure he meets many new friends, including surf nut Chicken Joe and spirited lifeguard Lani. Cody believes that winning is everything until he meets Geek, an old, washed-up pro surfer, who may just show Cody that a true winner isn’t always the one who comes in first."

💿 FORMATS: Blu-Ray+Digital

Buy From Amazon

That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime Steelbook (Funimation, TV-14) "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 1 contains episodes 1-24 of the anime directed by Yasuhito Kikuchi, housed in a Steelbook case. Reborn as a blue slime into a world with dragons, dire wolves, and goblins, little Rimuru needs help. But after acquiring predator skill, he’ll brave this crazy planet, unaware his greatest weapon will be his heart. Wait—does he even have one anymore?"

💿 FORMATS: Blu-Ray+Digital

Buy From Amazon Buy From RightStuf

Urusei Yatsura Remember My Love (Discotek Media, 13+) "They say life is like a fairy tale fantasy at Tomobiki Marchenland! But is getting yourself turned into a hippopotamus really a fairy tale? Flyers fall from the sky, beckoning the denizens of Tomobiki to attend the new amusement park at the outskirts of town. Lum, Ataru, and all their friends head to the park hoping for a day of fun and relaxation, but soon find themselves witness to strange occurrences none of them can explain! Undeterred, they take in the magic show of the mysterious magician Ruu, but things go awry when Ataru volunteers to be in the magic show and finds himself turned into a hippopotamus! Lum suddenly goes missing, too, and after a while the entire town finds itself becoming, well... boring and normal. Has Lum really abandoned Ataru in his hippo-like state to find someone else, or is there a terrible secret hidden deep within Tomibiki Marchenland? Find out the truth in Urusei Yatsura: Remember My Love!"

💿 FORMATS: Blu-Ray+Digital

Buy From Amazon Buy From RightStuf

Upcoming Releases

All Release dates are subject to change. Listed Dates are for US release unless stated otherwise. Digital releases may be earlier.

The Spine Of Night (Image Entertainment) Blu-Ray Feb 1

Encanto (Disney) 4k, Blu-Ray, DVD Feb 7 [UK]

Catwoman: Hunted (WB) 4K, Blu-Ray Feb 8

Howl's Moving Castle Limited Edition (StudioCanal) Blu-Ray Feb 14 [UK]

Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind Limited Edition (StudioCanal) Blu-Ray Feb 14 [UK]

Encanto (Disney) 4K, Bklu-Ray, DVD

Yasha-Hime: Half Demon Princess (Viz) Blu-Ray Feb 15

The Batman: Complete Series [2004-2008] (WB) March 1

Flee (Decal) Blu Ray March 1

Adventure Time: Distant Lands (WB) Blu-Ray March 1

Sing 2 (Universal) Blu-Ray, DVD March 22

This Week's Best Deals

All prices are subject to change and do not include postage or delivery costs, plus any additional taxes in the US. Titles are Blu-Rays unless otherwise states