Isamu Imakake’s Metaphysical Fantasy ‘Dragon Heart’ Sets U.S. Digital Debut

Freestyle Digital Media has acquired U.S. rights to Dragon Heart: Adventures Beyond This World, the latest feature from veteran anime director Isamu Imakake. The film will debut on digital platforms on March 3, after a 250-screen theatrical run in Japan last year, presented by Nikkatsu Corporation.

We previously spoke with Imakake about the project during its Japanese release, when he positioned the film as a spiritually driven fantasy aimed at younger audiences grappling with existential questions.

“This movie portrays how there are as many Hells as there are evil minds. But there are as many worlds of Heaven as there are good minds,” the director told us.

The film’s story centers on Ryusuke, a Tokyo junior high student who travels to Tokushima for summer vacation. After an accident at the Anabuki River, he and his cousin Tomomi awaken in a spirit realm. A mysterious figure tells them they can return to the living world, but only if they discover their true purpose.

The feature was written and produced by Ryuho Okawa, with a screenplay credited to the Dragon Heart – Adventures Beyond This World Scenario Project and animation by HS Pictures Studios in Japan, combined with 3D work overseen by VFX creative supervisor Yumiko Awaya. As with several prior Okawa-backed productions, the film blends contemporary anime aesthetics with overt metaphysical themes, drawing from Buddhist, Hindu, and other spiritual iconography.

“I was in my 20s when I met Ryuho Okawa,” Imamake recalled of his partnership with the writer-producer. “I encountered some of the books he wrote and attended his lectures. At that time, I realized the possibility of animation, of how we can turn anxieties into hope by encountering his books and lectures.”

In a statement released today, Imakake added:

Dragon Heart: Adventures Beyond this World is a nonstop adventure into the unknown spiritual world that takes you from modern hell to the land of admiration, Shambhala. I hope you will watch and be immersed in its extraordinary story. I’m sure how you view the world will change after watching it. I believe that you can experience an awakening of yourself through this movie.

The English-language dub features Zach Aguilar and Ren Holly Liu.