DVD w/ English subtitles is out
Some months ago the DVD was issued in Japan, but only with a Japanese language track. I noticed that a one disc version with English and Chinese subtitles was released a few days ago with a copy or two showing up on eBay, and the day before yesterday a seller in Bangkok listed a two disc special edition set...starting bid at $9.99 US.
Finally I found this last set yesterday after searching several shops here in Bangkok. It has Japanese 5.1 and Japanese DTS ES audio as well as a Thai 5.1 track. It is subtitled in English, Thai, Japanese and Chinese and is a DVD-9. It is anamorpically enhanced. The second (DVD-5) disc has interviews, a trailer, a "making of" short and a piece on the gala premiere. These are in Japanese with Thai subtitles. The is a still set that disssolves with music, as well as a set of drawings from Yuji's book that also dissolve with a music background.
It appears that this is an all zone edition...it is NTSC.
There is a booklet showing scenes from the book Mio did for Yuji, and a box includes one of those dolls that Yuji hangs upside down with a clothes pin. Instructions are given to tie this yourself...the instructions are all in Japanese ! These are called Teru teru boze in Japan (Shining Boy) and are dolls that are hung outside to pray for fine weather. They might be made of paper, but are often made from a hankerchef tied around a ping-pong ball. What is significant in Yuji's case is that by hanging it upside down he is probably praying for the opposite of the usual use, in this case for continued rain.
The list price is 499 baht but I got it for 299 baht (under $7.50 US). The disc quailty is much better than usual for DVD's produced in Thailand.
Oh Lord, you gave them eyes but they cannot see...