Collector's, Standard Editions to ship on May 20

Aniplex of America announced on Saturday that it will release an imported version of the Persona 3 The Movie #1 Spring of Birth film on Blu-ray Disc on May 20. Aniplex will release the film in a collector's edition and a standard edition.

Both editions will include both the 90-minute original theatrical version and the 97-minute director's cut version of the film with English subtitles. Both editions will also include trailers, commercials, and audio commentary, although the bonus video extras will not include English subtitles.

The collector's edition will also include the original soundtrack CD (which will include the theme song "More Than One Heart" by Yumi Kawamura), box art by character designer and animation director Keisuke Watabe, newly-illustrated cover art, a 48-page booklet (with an English translation side booklet), 10 "Super P3 Stickers" and four key art illustration cards.

The collector's edition retails for US$99.98, but Aniplex is selling it at a sales price of US$79.98. The standard edition retails for US$74.98, but Aniplex is selling it at a sales price of US$59.98. Pre-orders for the film start on April 7.

The film ships in Japan on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on May 14.

The film, which is the first of two planned films, adapts Atlus' Persona 3 PlayStation 2 game. In the game's story, there is a hidden time known as the "Dark Hour" that exists between one day and the next when all movement in the town stops. During this time, terrible creatures called Shadows roam, and a group of high school students in the city of Iwatodai are drawn into the Dark Hour to fight these creatures and explore the mysterious tower of Tartarus. This group uses weapons called Evokers that are used to summon Personas.

Noriaki Akitaya (three Bakuman. series) directed the film at AIC Asta with Seiji Kishi (Persona 4: The Animation, Devil Survivor 2 The Animation, Angel Beats!) supervising. Jun Kumagai (Aura: Maryūinkōga Saigo no Tatakai, episodes of Persona 4: The Animation) wrote the screenplay, and Keisuke Watabe (Crest of the Stars, Banner of the Stars) served as character designer and animation director. Shoji Meguro (Persona 4: The Animation) composed the music.