While in the throes of my current Lupin the Third-based hyperfixation, I’ve been constantly reminded of how much I love historical fiction—be it Fujiko Mine’s role in a certain missile crisis, Zenigata stepping into the middle of a cold war that could go hot at any moment, or a would-be thief earning his stripes amid Japan’s postwar occupation. Without any additional explanation, I immediately knew the subtle and no-so-subtle implications that loomed over each of these stories.

While I enjoyed those Lupin capers, I found myself most affected by a piece of postwar fiction that had almost disappeared into the ether—2010’s Rainbow: The Seven from Block 2, Cell 6. With that said, I’d like to revisit another article I’d previously penned for Discotek Media’s email newsletter, focusing on Rainbow’s home video debut and return to streaming after an extended absence.

Originally Published on March 8th, 2024.

There’s a little something for everyone hitting shelves this month, but we wanted to take a moment to highlight a hidden gem that’s nestled off in the corner of this stacked jewelry box. “You’re calling it a ‘hidden gem?’ Isn’t that a bit overplayed?” That sentiment is often quite true. Be it a game, movie, or any creative work under the sun, a title can lose its luster if constantly referred to as a “hidden gem.” 

In the case of 2010’s Rainbow: The Seven from Block 2, Cell 6, that moniker provides the most apt way of describing it. Why? The series was completely unavailable to English-speaking audiences for roughly decade; nowhere to be found on streaming services and without a physical release. Before we get further into the history of the series’ availability, what is Rainbow all about and what’s with the high praise right out of the gate?

Produced by Studio Madhouse (Redline, Ninja Scroll) and directed by Hunter X Hunter (2011) helmer Hiroshi Koujina, Rainbow is an adaptation of the critically acclaimed seinen manga written by novelist George Abe and illustrated by Masasumi Kakizaki. The series follows Mario, Joe, Turtle, Cabbage, Soldier, and Scam—a ragtag group of delinquents who’ve been peeled off the war scarred streets of postwar Japan and sent to a hellish juvenile reformatory. Shortly after their arrival, the six are forced to attend a horrifying welcome party put on by the reformatory’s head doctor, Sasaki, and a psychotic guard by the name of Ishihara.

Emasculated and terrified, the boys are led to the sixth cell in the second block. However, they enter their new home to discover that they’ll be living alongside a seventh roommate—Anchan. While the six initially pick a fight with Anchan, they end up developing a tight-knit bond amongst themselves. It’s a bond initially formed on the basis of survival, but evolves over time as the boys share their hopes and dreams for the future—one beyond the reformatory’s walls. Unfortunately, Sasaki and Ishihara are hellbent on killing those dreams before the boys can even walk out the front gate. 

This thrilling tale of brotherhood and the strength of relationships forged in the face of relentless (and occasionally hard to stomach) adversity quickly wins over the hearts of its viewers; from hardcore animation enthusiasts to members of Discotek Media’s own staff. Though Rainbow deals with some fairly heavy subject matter, the appearance of familiar voices like live-action LUPIN THE Third actor Shun Oguri and Like a Dragon’s Takaya Kuroda make for a few fun surprises that only serve to strengthen the material. There were a good handful of people who had never heard of Rainbow before our announcement and they were sequentially blown away by the buzz. With that kind of word of mouth, why has a classic like this been unavailable for so long?

2010—the early days of anime simulcasting as we know it today. Rainbow was eight episodes into its run on Japanese television station NTV when Funimation Entertainment announced that they would be streaming the series weekly, starting with episode nine on June 1st. By the end of the year, the entirety of Rainbow was available to watch on Funimation’s website and Hulu. Judging by the temperature of social media at the time, the handful of viewers that fell in love with the show were on the edge of their seats every week. 

Not to mention that they were quite hungry for a Blu-ray release at the time. But despite that enthusiasm, Rainbow didn’t make the jump to home video. However, it did remain on streaming for a time. Then in October of 2013, it was reported that the series had left Funimation’s streaming platform as part of a site update. It was still available for viewing on Hulu, but was removed sometime roughly around the end of 2014 according to eagle-eyed fans. 

Ever since then, Rainbow had been in a state of availability limbo in North America. The series’ fans lamented that this real, honest-to-goodness, hidden gem had never managed to secure a foothold in the wider anime consciousness. Bummed out that they couldn’t say “Oh, there’s a DVD” or “Oh, it’s streaming here!” Thankfully, their lost-but-not-forgotten favorite was given a second chance when it was announced in October that we’d be bringing Rainbow to Blu-ray. Not long after, our partners at Crunchyroll made the series available to watch on their platform—almost a decade after it disappeared from other streaming services. 

After all this time, those longtime fans can finally say “Oh, there’s a Blu-ray AND it’s streaming on Crunchyroll.” We’re absolutely thrilled that Rainbow is finally available for new audiences to discover. However, we strongly believe the fact that it’s now preserved on Blu-ray is the most vital part of Rainbow’s new lease on life. 

In the sizzle reel that plays at the top of all our releases, we end it off with our mission statement: “Blu-rays are forever. So are the classics.” Rainbow is the perfect encapsulation of that mission and why it’s so important. Everyone has that one beloved title that’s slipped through the cracks, and if we can physically preserve that title at one place in time, it’ll be keeping that classic alive for future generations—classics like Kamikaze Girls, Space Sheriff Sharivan, and Berserk. 

We’d love to think now that Rainbow and these other classics have been given another shot at life on Blu-ray, that they’ll continue to live on into the future. That even when a title has left someone’s library, it can be enjoyed by the next person who comes across it. Even if that series or movie is long gone from streaming services.

Coop Bicknell is a writer, MediaOCD contributor, and editorial contributor at Anime News Network.

Available at MediaOCD:
Rainbow – Blu-ray