Osamu Tezuka’s A Time Slip of 10,000 Years: Prime Rose, the 1983 anime special, is making its North American debut on Blu-ray on June 14, 2025 courtesy of SkySet Entertainment. Anime and Tezuka fans, get ready because this release includes something special: an English dub featuring a talented voice cast.
A Dystopian Blast from the Past
Based on Tezuka’s Prime Rose manga, which ran in Weekly Shōnen Champion from 1982 to 1983, A Time Slip of 10,000 Years: Prime Rose plunges viewers into a dystopian future. The plot thickens when a destructive entity known as Death Mask hurls Kujukuri City, Japan, and Dallas, Texas, ten thousand years into the future, turning them into brutal battlegrounds.
The story centers on Gai Tanbara, a determined hero who rises to challenge Death Mask and restore order to time. Along his journey, Gai allies with Emiya, a fierce warrior fighting to reclaim her city. Together, they grapple with the grim realities of a shattered world.
The English Dub Cast
SkySet Entertainment has assembled a talented English voice cast to breathe new life into the characters of A Time Slip of 10,000 Years: Prime Rose. Here’s a breakdown:
- KyLeigh Zimmerer as Emiya Tachi
- Jacob Eiseman as Gai Tanbara
- Christina Assaf-Costello as Bunretsu Tanbara
- David Wald as Pilar
- John Swasey as Jinba
- Bradley Gareth as Kiriko
- Freddie Heinz as Jacques Tachi
- Madeleine Norton as Iruma Tachi
- Dylan Mobley as General
- Bryan Massey as Malevolent Deity
- Joseph DuVall as Taro
- Conner Allison as Newscaster
- Paxson Helgesen as Controller
- Nasim Benelkour as Warden
- John Van Doren as Sergeant
Additional voices are provided by Kenny Armstrong, Jason Bunch, KJ Burbank, David Cherry, Trina Deuhart, Biker Helmkamp, Rebecca Olivia Hodges, Carrick Inabnett, John Martinez, Leo Matthews, Erica Muse, Skye Redden, Kim Rivera, and Doll Shay. Phebe Fabacher directed the dub, with Hayden Davis as the engineer. Kym Rose handled the adaptation, and Ralph Villegas oversaw timecoding.
Special Features and Where to Buy
The Blu-ray edition of A Time Slip of 10,000 Years: Prime Rose is packed with special features, offering fans an in-depth look at the anime’s creation. These include:
- English dub outtakes
- Interviews with the English voice cast
- Staff commentary
- Pre-production sketches from Tezuka Productions
- Trailer videos
The Blu-ray will be available for purchase starting June 14, 2025. Pre-orders are available from various North American retailers and streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime Video.
Tezuka’s Enduring Legacy
Osamu Tezuka, often hailed as the “God of Manga,” revolutionized both manga and anime. His iconic works, such as Astro Boy, Black Jack, Jungle Emperor Leo, Princess Knight, and Phoenix, are considered foundational to the medium. Tezuka’s studio, Mushi Production, was also instrumental in creating Astro Boy, Japan’s first animated series, setting the stage for the anime industry.
A Closer Look at the Story
A Time Slip of 10,000 Years: Prime Rose blends science fiction with sword and sorcery elements.
The story begins in 1983 when the “Death Mask” military satellite suffers a mysterious accident in orbit and plummets to Earth, obliterating the cities of Dallas, Texas, and Kujukuri, Japan. However, the Time Patrol discovers that the two cities weren’t destroyed but sent 10,000 years into the future.
Gai Tanbara is tasked by a Time Patrol officer (who bears a resemblance to Mr. Spock) to travel to the future and investigate what happened to the residents of those cities. Gai’s younger brother, Bunretsu, secretly joins him. They arrive in a desolate world filled with mutant monsters.
Gai and Bunretsu separate, and Bunretsu is rescued by an old man. Gai encounters a beautiful girl being threatened. The old man trains Emiya to become a master swordswoman.
Pirar has enslaved Taro, but Emiya swears to defeat Pirar for murdering Taro. Jinba reveals that he is the exiled king of Kukurit, and Emiya is his daughter, Princess Prime Rose. Meanwhile, Gai leads a slave revolt, and the Great Devil appears, boasting about causing the troubles.
Emiya/Prime Rose then takes the lead as a skimpily-clad female swordsmistress. She and Bunretsu fly to Pirar’s palace, and she challenges him to combat.
Gai realizes that the Great Devil is Sigma-99, the supercomputer within the Death Mask satellite. To destroy its control over humans, Gai, Bunretsu, and Prime Rose confront Sigma-99. Prime Rose attacks with her superpower, seemingly winning at the cost of her life. Gai vows to wait for her return, no matter how long it takes.
Themes and Style
The film carries viewers from start to finish with twists. While the humor is subtler, its tone and timing could only have come from Tezuka himself. Prime Rose is a mix of wacky humor and weighty drama. Tezuka pushes his usual anti-war themes to the forefront, examining the Cold War from the perspective of those caught in the crossfire between superpowers. Rather than preach, he fashions a rousing adventure that draws parallels between dystopian sci-fi and Biblical epics.
Reception
User ratings on Anime News Network give A Time Slip of 10,000 Years: Prime Rose a median rating of “Decent.”
A Unique Tezuka Experience
A Time Slip of 10,000 Years: Prime Rose is considered unusual for a Tezuka film, with virtually no cameos from other Tezuka characters. The film also has a more defined narrative flow.
One reviewer noted, “As much as it drifts from Tezuka’s normal M.O., Prime Rose is also undeniably his… The plot may be focused, but the twists are every bit as sudden and baffling as ever. The film carried me from start to finish eager to see the next bit of inexplicable insanity.”
Another reviewer said, “The amount of imagination that went into this work is really Tezuka-worthy… The characters are also interesting enough to keep the movie fresh, and especially Prime Rose surprised me: at the start of the movie we’re led to believe that she’s a simple damsel in distress, while she grows into a feisty warrior and the heroine of the movie.”
The Directors
Osamu Dezaki, known for macho anime epics like Golgo 13: The Professional (1983) and Space Adventure Cobra (1982), co-directed A Time Slip of 10,000 Years: Prime Rose with Osamu Tezuka and Satoshi Dezaki.
Final Thoughts
With its blend of science fiction, fantasy, and adventure, A Time Slip of 10,000 Years: Prime Rose offers a unique viewing experience. The new English dub and special features make this Blu-ray release a must-have for anime enthusiasts. Mark your calendars for June 14, 2025, and prepare to be transported to a dystopian future.
