Final episode premieres in Japan online on Friday

The official website for the anime of Yasuo Ohtagaki's Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt manga revealed on Thursday that the anime will get a director's cut edition that will screen for two weeks in 15 Japanese theaters starting on June 25. The new Kidō Senshi Gundam Thunderbolt: December Sky ( Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt: December Sky ) anime will include additional scenes. Bandai Visual began streaming a long and a short trailer for the director's cut version on Thursday.

The theaters that will screen the director's cut version will also sell a first-pressing limited edition Blu-ray Disc of the anime starting on June 25. The regular Blu-ray Disc and DVD release will ship on July 29. All home video releases will have the director's cut version of the anime.

The limited edition Blu-ray Disc set sold at theaters will retail for 10,000 yen (about US$91) and will include: a box with an illustration by Hajime Katoki, a special disc that includes the "Those Who Challenge the One Year War ~Documentary of Thunderbolt~" video, a storyboard collection, a 108-page "animation works" book, a specially designed inner jacket, a specially designed sleeve case by Ohtagaki, a 16-page booklet, cast and staff audio commentary, and a promo video and commercial collection.

The regular edition Blu-ray Disc retails for 6,800 yen (US$62) and will include: a specially designed inner jacket, a specially designed sleeve case by Ohtagaki, a 16-page booklet, cast and staff audio commentary, and a promo video and commercial collection. The regular DVD retails for 5,800 yen (US$53) and will include: the specially designed inner jacket, the 16-page booklet, and the promo video and commercial collection.

Sony also began streaming a preview video on Thursday for the net anime's fourth and final episode, which will launch digitally on Friday. The Gundam Fan Club app hosted an early release on April 8 for paid subscribers.

The first episode became available digitally on December 25, the second episode launched on February 12, and the third episode launched on March 18. Episodes are available via an EST (Electronic Sell Through) service that allows purchasers to download the episode, and it is the first time a Gundam series is available via this method.

The story is set in the same One Year War in UC 0079 as the first Mobile Suit Gundam anime series, and it follows the battles between two ace pilots at the "Thunderbolt Sector," a shoal zone with numerous wrecks of space colonies and warships.