Umi no Hajimari Director's Cut Blu-ray Box

Umi no Hajimari Director's Cut Blu-ray Box explores how someone becomes a parent when the life they thought they knew changes without warning. Ren Meguro stars as Natsu Tsukioka, a young man working at a Tokyo printing company and sharing an ordinary, happy relationship with Yayoi Momose, played by Kasumi Arimura. A phone call telling him that his former university girlfriend Mizuki has died unsettles everything.

At her funeral, Natsu meets a little girl named Umi. Learning that she is Mizuki's daughter is surprising enough; discovering that he is her father forces him to confront years of a life he never knew existed. As he tries to understand the bond between mother and daughter, Natsu must also work out what his own place in Umi's life could become. The story follows the feelings and responsibilities connecting children, parents and the people who support them, without reducing family to one simple arrangement.

The original drama reunites writer Miku Ubukata, director Taiki Kazama and producer Ken Murase, whose earlier collaboration was silent. Sena Izumiya plays Umi, with Taisei Kido, Kotone Furukawa, Sosuke Ikematsu and Shinobu Otake among the cast. Back number's Atarashii Koibitotachi ni accompanies the series as its theme song.

This four-disc edition presents all 12 episodes and the special episode in the director's-cut version, approximately 674 minutes altogether. The separate extras disc contains around 70 minutes of making-of footage, the spin-off dramas Ani to no Hajimari and Oyako wa Michinakaba, a collaboration video pairing the series with back number's theme, the Tsuno-kun infomercial and teaser spots. A 60-page photo book and replicas of Mizuki's two letters accompany the set.

The region-free Blu-rays present the programme in 16:9 1080i with Japanese Linear PCM 2.0 audio. Japanese subtitles are available for the main series and special episode; they are not advertised for the supplementary footage.