By GKIDS is giving Kyoto Animation fans a holiday treat. The distributor has announced a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray of CITY The Animation, the studio’s first non-sequel anime in six years, arriving exclusively on the GKIDS online store on December 15.
CITY The Animation (Credits: GKIDS)
The release bundles the full 13-episode series alongside a 72-page booklet, four art cards, an A3 poster, plus promos, TV spots, a team preview and clean opening and ending sequences. It’s a proper collector’s package for a series many consider one of the most joyful surprises of recent anime.
Kyoto Animation’s Long-Awaited Original
Directed by Taichi Ishidate of Violet Evergarden fame, CITY adapts creator Keiichi Arawi’s beloved manga about the gloriously absurd daily lives of one town’s residents. Arawi, best known for the cult comedy Nichijou, filled CITY with the same unpredictable sketch-driven humor — from laughing gas to emotional gut punches, all rendered in Kyoto Animation’s famously lush style.
The series streamed worldwide on Amazon Prime Video starting July 2025, marking the first time the studio tackled an entirely original (non-sequel) project in over half a decade. The opening theme “Hello” was performed by Riho Furui, with TOMOO closing each episode with “Lucky.”
Collector’s Goodies and Manga Background
Beyond the standard extras, the set includes “cut out” movies and team previews that show off the production process — exactly the kind of material Kyoto Animation completists crave. The GKIDS-exclusive release also means international fans finally get a physical edition without importing the Japanese discs.
The CITY manga itself has had an unusual journey: launched in Kodansha’s Morning magazine in September 2016, it ended in February 2021 at 13 volumes, only to return in December 2024 for a second run that concluded with its 15th volume in December 2025. English readers can find the complete series through Kodansha USA and the K MANGA service.
Also Read: Kodansha USA Licenses Jackpot Girls, Powerless Without You, Occult Times, 7 Other Manga
Source: Anime News Network — read the full story there.
