GKIDS Love & Pop Blu-ray (Western) at Anime Expo 2026

During its 2026 Anime Expo panel, GKIDS revealed four upcoming collector-focused home video releases, positioning them as editions “built specifically for collectors.” The slate includes three newly announced collector’s versions of well-known anime feature films, plus what GKIDS is calling the first-ever Blu-ray release in the format’s Western market for Hideaki Anno’s Love & Pop (1998).

Key takeaways

GKIDS announced three collector’s editions alongside a first Western Blu-ray edition for Love & Pop.
The physical releases are scheduled to land this fall and are available to preorder exclusively through GKIDS.
Linda Linda Linda, Angel’s Egg, and Look Back are all receiving 4K restoration work for their collector’s editions.
Each collector’s set includes additional extras and a physical booklet, with premium packaging and new artwork.
GKIDS also expanded into streaming previously, securing HBO Max rights for 20 adult-oriented titles, including Love & Pop and Angel’s Egg.

Fall preorder lineup and release dates

All four releases are set for autumn availability and opened for preorder only via GKIDS. The company’s announced dates are:

Linda Linda Linda Collector’s Edition (4K UHD + Blu-ray) — August 25, 2026
Look Back Collector’s Edition (4K UHD + Blu-ray) — September 8, 2026
Angel’s Egg Collector’s Edition (4K UHD + Blu-ray) — September 22, 2026
Love & Pop (HD Blu-ray) — October 6, 2026

What’s included with the collector editions

GKIDS says the collector editions bring 4K restorations to Linda Linda Linda (2005) from Nobuhiro Yamashita, Mamoru Oshii’s Angel’s Egg (1985), and Kiyotaka Oshiyama’s Look Back (2024). Beyond digital bonus content (listed per title below), the packages also include printed booklets. GKIDS is also promising “premium collectible” packaging, with fresh artwork across all four movies.

Linda Linda Linda Collector’s Edition details

Behind the Scenes Featurette
U.S. Trailer
Booklet featuring a new essay titled “There’s a Beauty that Can’t Be Seen in Photos” by David Ehrlich, plus interviews with Director Nobuhiro Yamashita and Screenwriter Kosuke Mukai

Look Back Collector’s Edition details

The Making of Look Back
Audio Commentary
Interview with Director & Cast
Interview with Haruka Nakamura
Director & Cast Post-Screening Talks
TV Spots
Teasers & Trailers
160-page Book

Angel’s Egg Collector’s Edition details

Interview with Yoshitaka Amano
Interview with Mamoru Oshii and Yoshitaka Amano
Japan Society Talk with Yoshitaka Amano
Official U.S. Trailer
Booklet featuring a new essay by Danielle Burgos

Love & Pop (HD Blu-ray) details

Hideaki Anno: Evangelion and Love & Pop
Deleted Scene: Beach Trip
TV Spots
Teasers & Trailers

Collector-focused positioning and title context

In its official announcement, GKIDS frames the roster as a mix of “new and classic titles,” emphasizing its “ongoing commitment to preserving and celebrating feature films… through high-quality physical media.”

Mamoru Oshii’s Angel’s Egg is described as an influential animation film from the 1980s, while Love & Pop is noted for being Hideaki Anno’s first late-1990s commercial live-action movie. Linda Linda Linda, meanwhile, reportedly received its first 4K UHD remaster last year to mark its 20th anniversary.

West Blu-ray milestone for Look Back

GKIDS also highlights that this collector’s release will be the first time Look Back—which debuted in 2024—appears on Blu-ray in the West. The Tatsuki Fujimoto adaptation was released on Blu-ray in Japan earlier this year, and some Reddit users have already pointed out that the GKIDS edition may use the same art and packaging look as the Japanese release.

GKIDS expands beyond discs with streaming rights

While GKIDS is increasingly associated with premium physical releases, the company has also been expanding into streaming. It previously struck a deal with HBO Max last fall that granted the Warner Bros.-owned service streaming rights to 20 “adult-oriented” films, including Love & Pop and Angel’s Egg.

Blythe (she/her) is an Audience Development Coordinator at IGN who spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.