Once Upon a Time in Japan

Once Upon a Time in Japan (Japanese: グレイソン, Hepburn: Gureison) is a 1994 animated comedy-drama film directed by Hisayuki Toriumi and written by Tomoko Konparu, Yoshio Urasawa and William Goldman. Produced by Studio Pierrot, Hakuhodo and Longfellow Pictures and distributed by Toei Company, it is a co-production between Japan and the United States. The film follows an American teenager named Grayson Hale who moves to Japan following the death of his parents, and the film chronicles various events in his life as well as some of the other characters in the film.

Production began in 1991 and concluded in 1993. The film had it's theatrical premiere in Japan on May 7, 1994, with an English release in the United States on August 26, 1994. It was a box office success and received positive reviews from Japanese and American critics.

Release
The film was first screened at the Tokyo Square Cinema on April 9, 1994, followed by a theatrical release in Japan on May 7, 1994. The film was acquired for release in the United States by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, who released an English dubbed version of the film in theaters on August 26, 1994.

Home media
In Japan, the film was released on VHS and Laserdisc by Pony Canyon on March 10, 1995, followed by a DVD release in 2002. It was later released by Blu-ray on April 9, 2010. In the United States, it was released on VHS and Laserdisc by MGM/UA Home Video and on DVD by MGM Home Entertainment on June 6, 2000.