To mark the 40th anniversary of Toei Video's foundational original video animation label, Toei V Anime, 14 catalog OVAs are receiving extensive HD remasters sourced directly from original negative film. The curated lineup will stream exclusively via Japan's d Anime Store service beginning in October 2026, rescuing several cult classics that previously lacked home releases beyond obsolete VHS formats.
Launched in 1986 with Shonan Bakusozoku, the Toei V Anime banner became a prime creative sandbox during anime's golden era of home video, enlisting visionary directors such as Rintaro, Osamu Dezaki, and Yoshiaki Kawajiri. The new high-definition transfers ensure that the atmospheric film grain and cel craft of these productions survive intact for contemporary screens.
Classic Restorations
The anniversary project features high-profile genre works led by Rintaro's four-part occult epic Doomed Megalopolis (Teito Monogatari), alongside Kaoru Shintani's mercenary thriller Desert Rose: Yuki no Mokushiroku, which was scripted directly by the original creator.
The retrospective initiative highlights several forgotten gems making their subscription streaming debuts, ranging from Takatsugu Yamamoto's sci-fi adventure Elf 17 to Hiroya Oku's early comedic work HEN.
Rollout Schedule
Subscribers will gain access to the remastered catalog in bi-weekly waves:
- October 10: Doomed Megalopolis (4 episodes), Desert Rose, Elf 17, HEN (2 episodes)
- October 24: Kyoushirou ni Naitsu! (2 episodes), Psychic Wars, Vampire Wars, Manami & Nami Sprite (2 episodes)
- November 7: Shuranosuke Zanmaken: Shikamamon no Otoko, Psycho Diver: Masei Bosatsu, Twilight of the Dark Master
- November 21: Bio Hunter, Midnight Eye Gokuu (2 episodes), Puttsun Make LOVE (6 episodes)
The slate concludes with late-period retro horrors like Bio Hunter and Buichi Terasawa's neo-noir Midnight Eye Gokuu, representing a historic restoration effort for hand-drawn Japanese animation from the late 1980s and 1990s.
