Studio Ghibli announced on Monday that it will distribute a bonus disc with the anime short "On Your Mark" for free, to buyers of the Miyazaki Hayao Kantoku Sakuhin-shū (The Collected Works of Director Hayao Miyazaki) Blu-ray Disc and DVD boxes. Walt Disney Studios Japan had planned to include "On Your Mark," the music video of a song by the duo Chage and Aska, in the original June release of these Blu-ray Disc/DVD boxes. However, after Aska (Shigeaki Miyazaki) was arrested for drug possession in May, Walt Disney Studios Japan delayed the boxes to July and removed "On Your Mark" from them.

Studio Ghibli itself is directly offering the bonus disc to the box set buyers. Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki explained that the distributor's original decision to remove the short was made under time constraints, to respond with strict measures to the "anti-social behavior" of Aska. However, Suzuki added that Ghibli "wants to release this work to the world, and wants to send it to those who purchased the boxes." He acknowledged that the studio's move is a little unusual, and asked for the buyers' understanding in the matter.

To request the bonus disc, buyers must first cut out the proof of purchase stub from the bottom right corner of the survey postcard in each box set. Then, buyers must securely attach the stub to a Japanese retail postcard with cellophane tape, write a Japanese mailing address (with postal code) and buyer's name (with furigana pronunciation guide text) on the postcard, and mail it to the following address before October 31, 2015:

〒151-0053

東京都渋谷区代々木2-6-5

テレコミュニケーションビル

「OYM特別ディスク事務局」宛



Ghibli will send one bonus disc to each person who sends such a postcard, although it can not state yet when the discs will ship. People who have questions regarding this offer can email the oym-disc (at ghibli.jp) address.

Nearly two decades ago, Chage (Shuji Shibata) and Aska approached Studio Ghibli to make a music video for their "On Your Mark" song. The music video — which Miyazaki conceived, wrote, and directed — became an "experimental film" shown in theaters with Whisper of the Heart in 1995.

Police allegedly found tablets and powder believed to be MDMA and other stimulants, as well as paraphernalia for using drugs, in a room of Aska's Minato ward apartment on April 6 and 12. Aska denied the charges against him.

Chage and Aska debuted in 1979, and last year marked their 35th anniversary. The duo had said, "We hope that this year will be one we can spend with our fans, who walked with us for an amazing 35 years."

Source: ITmedia News via Hachima Kikō