Funimation Entertainment on Tuesday announced that it is offering Japanese animation — anime — for sales on the iTunes Store. Beginning today popular series including “Desert Punk,” “Speed Grapher” and “Samurai 7” are available for download.
Funimation president and CEO Gen Fukunaga said in a statement that his company’s anime series are the first to be offered on iTunes. “This is a great opportunity to offer our top-rated anime series through the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store,” said Fukunaga.
Each episode is priced at $1.99. Season passes are also available for $38.99 each.
“ Speed Grapher ” takes place a decade after The Bubble War, when the global economy burst. Taking place in Tokyo, it depicts a dark, futuristic society where the rich can indulge their fantasies. The story picks up with Saiga, a tabloid journalist who has uncovered evidence of a secret society that panders to the wealthiest, most decadent elite. It’s rated TV MA, for mature audiences.
“ Samurai 7 ” is a retelling of Akira Kurosawa’s classic epic, Seven Samurai. It’s a steampunk take on the tale of seven samurai who band together to save a village from destruction at the hands of Nobuseri bandits.
The Great Kanto Desert is the setting of “ Desert Punk — a wasteland of extreme heat and extreme cold, populated by the few survivors of a great civilization, many of them turning to banditry in order to survive. A wealthy family has enlisted the help of the Desert Punk, a treasure hunter, debt collector and handyman, to recover a treasure stolen from them. It’s also rated TV MA.