Discotek Media really came into their own in 2014 with the releases they brought out but also in some of their acquisitions for 2015. While the company started off working with established properties, often that were rescues or had been released decades ago with English language dubs, they’ve been branching out after working some of their relationships with more well known fan properties like Lupin the 3rd. With a solid and established reputation now fully there, they’ve been able to pick up more shows, more variety and some more recent materials. They’ve also continued to bring out a lot of older shows that have fallen by the wayside over the years, some that were never licensed but deserving of an audience here, as well as those that needed a rescue. There’s a good mix of stuff in their catalog overall for 2014 and we’ve got a few that definitely stand out for us.

5) DALLOS: Complete OVA Series [ Review ]

As it’s considered the first OVA release in Japan, there’s a solid historical aspect to Dallos that alone makes it worthy of being on any list. What helps to elevate this one is that it comes from Mamoru Oshii, as he was amid his time on some other big Studio Pierrot titles at the time, as it let him flex his creative muscles with Hisayuki Torumi to create something very different from what he was in the midst of when it came to Urusei Yatsura. Getting ahold of this short form series and ensuring that people could see it via Hulu as well definitely worked well.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWXivQL_eCc]

4) Sherlock Hound: Complete Collection

This twenty-six episode series from 1984 is one that gets a lot of attention from the fact that a lot of it was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. And that’s certainly a strong selling point for a very fun series that really should be seen more. It fits into the classic mold of a show that’s all about the simple detective stories with the anthropomorphic side of it, which delights regularly with its humor and style. There’s a lot of appeal for something of this nature when you’re stuck alongside a lot of overly complex, dark and often brutal detective mysteries these days. Going to something that’s more all ages accessible is also a big plus because it’s a great hook for younger viewers.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11jnarZgU2Q]

3) Zombie-Loan: Complete Collection

Though Peach-Pit works have never had a high visibility over here or been hugely successful projects, it was still a surprised when this single season series from 2007 ended up being passed over for several years. Discotek Media took care of that as they brought over the full run, which originally had eleven episodes broadcast with the final two episodes on DVD only, making it hard for awhile for a lot of fans to see them. The release was also a smart move as Yen Press has been releasing the manga here in North America, so there was a bit of additional awareness about the property in general that likely helped it some.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcSL-T5IG6A]

2) School Days: Complete Collection [ Review ]

School Days is one of those series where it definitely can be divisive with anime fans for a lot of reasons. While the cast as a whole may be unlikable, they are engaging in situations that a lot of teens end up in, whether adults want to believe it or not. I loved that the show moved past the whole playful stage and dealt with the real fun in storytelling – the relationships. They’re messy, awkward, leave a bad taste in your mouth at times and push young, emotional and sometimes unstable teenagers into horrible positions where they can’t see any outs. There’s a lot of reasons to really hate this show, but I found a whole hell of a lot of reasons to find each episode to be thrilling to watch. It’s a show that definitely should be seen just to know which side of the fence you’ll end up on.

1) The Lupin World (Lupin the 3rd: The Castle of Cagliostro, Lupin the Third: Bye Bye, Lady Liberty , Lupin the Third: The Complete First TV Series (Re-release), Lupin the Third: The Hemingway Papers)

Having long been a fan of Lupin the 3rd, this was a very good year for fans. While a re-release usually won’t make it on the list, this series definitely deserved it since it came out cheaper and more accessible and it was helped along by having more of the specials/films come out. The Castle of Cagliostro has bounced around over the years, but getting it back in print was welcome as was getting two other specials released. Adding in several new acquisitions along the way for 2015 is only making it an even more exciting time to be a fan of this property since there’s so much fun and energy here from the classics but also through the newer films and specials. And with a new series coming in Japan next year? It’ll be interesting to see where that lands.