“Memories” / 「メモリーズ」, Original Japanese Home Video Release Promotional Poster 1996, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) F271

This is an original Japanese B2 promotional poster printed in 1996 for the Japanese home video release of Memories / 「メモリーズ」, the landmark science-fiction anime anthology presented by Katsuhiro Otomo.

Produced after the theatrical release of the film, this poster was created for the June 25, 1996 video / LaserDisc retail campaign, with the prominent release line 「6.25 ON SALE」 printed across the lower section. It is a superb original display piece from one of the most important anime projects of the 1990s.

Film background
Memories is an acclaimed three-part anime anthology based on stories by Katsuhiro Otomo, creator of Akira. Each segment has its own visual and tonal identity:

Magnetic Rose — directed by Kōji Morimoto, with screenplay by Satoshi Kon, a haunting psychological space opera about salvage astronauts drawn into a derelict spacecraft filled with the memories of a vanished opera diva.

Stink Bomb — directed by Tensai Okamura, a darkly comic disaster story about an ordinary lab worker who accidentally becomes a walking biological weapon.

Cannon Fodder — directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, a visually astonishing dystopian satire set in a militarised city built entirely around the ritual of firing enormous cannons at an unseen enemy.

The film is widely admired as a major achievement in 1990s Japanese animation, celebrated for its technical sophistication, mechanical detail, atmosphere, and the extraordinary creative team behind it.

Poster design
The poster is dense, ambitious, and highly distinctive. The central illustration is dominated by a monumental astronaut figure seated like a mechanical idol, surrounded by pipes, machinery, and characters from all three anthology segments. A giant red rose blooms behind the figure, visually tying the design to Magnetic Rose, while small film-still panels float around the composition like fragments of memory.

Across the top, graphic image panels spell out MEMORIES, under the phrase “KATSUHIRO OTOMO presents.”

The central Japanese copy reads:

「AKIRAから7年… 天才・大友克洋が世界に向けて放つ 劇場最新作『メモリーズ』」
“Seven years after Akira… the latest theatrical work Memories, released to the world by the genius Katsuhiro Otomo.”

The lower text announces:

「6.25 ON SALE」

and the bottom English line reads:

“In the future, present or imaginary world, MEMORIES reveal themselves, like rose petals opening.”

The overall design is complex, graphic, and highly collectible, perfectly reflecting the film’s mixture of science fiction, surrealism, memory, machinery, and Otomo’s visual imagination.

Release note
This poster was printed as an original Japanese retail / rental store promotional poster for the film’s 1996 home video release campaign.

It is an original period Japanese anime promotional poster, not a later reproduction or commercial reprint.

Condition
Very good / excellent condition. The poster displays very well overall, with strong colour, sharp artwork, and excellent visual impact.

There are visible signs of age and handling. These condition points have been taken into account when pricing.

Please review the photographs carefully, as they show the exact poster for sale.

This is an original 1996 Japanese promotional poster.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

It is now about 30 years old.

Certificate of Authenticity included.