Image: Konomoto Kazuya / Housenka Produktionskomitee
AMBot | 06/17/2026 | Reading Time: 3 Min.
The original animated film "Housenka" (The Last Blossom) by the "Odd Taxi" team will be available exclusively on Netflix as part of its streaming subscription from August 29, 2026. Three days earlier, on August 26, 2026, the home video versions will be released on Blu-ray and DVD. This was announced by producer Pony Canyon on June 17, 2026.
The film premiered in Japanese theaters in October 2025 and has since been shown at numerous international festivals, including the renowned Festival d'Animation Annecy, where it was nominated in the feature film competition. Other stops included the Tokyo International Film Festival, the Bucheon International Animation Festival, and the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival.
"Housenka" tells the story of the terminally ill prisoner Akutsu, who encounters a talking flower in prison and embarks on a retrospective of his life with it. It is a drama about love and the past, set in the summer of 1987, when the yakuza Akutsu lived with a woman and her son in a small apartment by the sea.
Direction and character design are by Baku Kinoshita, with the screenplay by Kazuya Konomoto—the duo that previously created the series "Odd Taxi." The film was produced by Studio CLAP, known for "Pompo: The Cinéphile." The main roles are cast with top talent: Kaoru Kobayashi (as Akutsu), Junki Tozuka, Hikari Mitsushima, Yoshiko Miyazaki, and Pierre Taki (as the voice of the flower).
The Blu-ray (8,000 yen plus tax) and DVD (4,000 yen plus tax) include as special features a tallcase designed by Kinoshita, a slipcase box decorated by illustrator kigimura, a set of postcards with concept drawings by Michinoku-toge, a reduced reprint of the key object "Akutsu's Picture," and an audio commentary by the main creators. Additionally, there is a making-of of the voice recordings with Kobayashi and Pierre Taki, as well as footage from the premiere stage. The discs are equipped with barrier-free Japanese subtitles and an audio description. A limited edition of the Blu-ray ("Kyanime Limited Edition") will be offered exclusively through Pony Canyon's shop "Kyanime" and includes an additional 20-page storyboard booklet.
Concurrently with the disc release, film fans can also order the official cinema pamphlet (40 pages) via the Kyanime shop, which contains interviews with the cast and a conversation between Kinoshita and Konomoto.
The film's music was contributed by the band cero; the title song "Stand By Me" is performed together with Masumi Kadoi.
The film premiered in Japanese theaters in October 2025 and has since been shown at numerous international festivals, including the renowned Festival d'Animation Annecy, where it was nominated in the feature film competition. Other stops included the Tokyo International Film Festival, the Bucheon International Animation Festival, and the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival.
"Housenka" tells the story of the terminally ill prisoner Akutsu, who encounters a talking flower in prison and embarks on a retrospective of his life with it. It is a drama about love and the past, set in the summer of 1987, when the yakuza Akutsu lived with a woman and her son in a small apartment by the sea.
Direction and character design are by Baku Kinoshita, with the screenplay by Kazuya Konomoto—the duo that previously created the series "Odd Taxi." The film was produced by Studio CLAP, known for "Pompo: The Cinéphile." The main roles are cast with top talent: Kaoru Kobayashi (as Akutsu), Junki Tozuka, Hikari Mitsushima, Yoshiko Miyazaki, and Pierre Taki (as the voice of the flower).
The Blu-ray (8,000 yen plus tax) and DVD (4,000 yen plus tax) include as special features a tallcase designed by Kinoshita, a slipcase box decorated by illustrator kigimura, a set of postcards with concept drawings by Michinoku-toge, a reduced reprint of the key object "Akutsu's Picture," and an audio commentary by the main creators. Additionally, there is a making-of of the voice recordings with Kobayashi and Pierre Taki, as well as footage from the premiere stage. The discs are equipped with barrier-free Japanese subtitles and an audio description. A limited edition of the Blu-ray ("Kyanime Limited Edition") will be offered exclusively through Pony Canyon's shop "Kyanime" and includes an additional 20-page storyboard booklet.
Concurrently with the disc release, film fans can also order the official cinema pamphlet (40 pages) via the Kyanime shop, which contains interviews with the cast and a conversation between Kinoshita and Konomoto.
The film's music was contributed by the band cero; the title song "Stand By Me" is performed together with Masumi Kadoi.
Images
This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical support and editorially reviewed before publication.
Comment(s) 0