While Mamuro Oshii’s latest animated feature film, The Sky Crawlers, is still in limited release in theaters here in North America, Japanese fans will get their sticky hands on the Blu-ray version on February 25, 2009. Note to eager North American fans who doesn’t understand Japanese, get your own personal translator if you decide to import the blu-ray.

The Sky Crawlers’ Official Site has posted the official announcement forThe Sky Crawlers on Blu-ray and DVD release. The anime will come in two versions, the Blu-ray Disc Collector’s Edition and the standard version Blu-ray disc.

This collector’s edition will include a total of 4 discs, 1 BD and three standard DVDs for the special features that include story boards and production materials, CG composition, documentaries about the film, remixed trailers and TV spots and more. The discs will be housed in a metal box designed by the director.

In addition, a 1/72 scale of the Sanka Fighter Plane with a 37mm canon that Director Oshii’s overlooked in the creation of the model, The Sky Crawlers staff testimonial booklet, and another booklet that includes the fifth draft of the story and an interview with screenplay writer Chihiro Ito.

Disc Specification as follows:
122min / single-sided double-layer / AVC/16:9 1080p High Definition
Audio: Dolby TrueHD (6.1ch), DTS-HD Master Audio (6.1ch) /Japanese Subtitles (When being shown in theaters, there were Japanese subtitles) / Thearical Trailer

Note: The Blu-ray and Standard DVD version of The Sky Crawler will not include English subtitles. activeAnime HD verified this with Production I.G.

SOURCE: The Sky Crawlers Official Japanese Site