Anime-A-Go-Go Brings a Day of Classic Japanese Animation to QUAD

QUAD are delighted to announce that the first ever Anime-A-Go-Go event will be held on Saturday 10 January 2026.

Previously, QUAD has ran two editions of Godzilla-A-Go-Go providing rare UK cinema screenings of films featuring Japan's most famous monster, and one of Kaiju-A-Go-Go which featured other giant monsters from that corner of the world. All three events proved extremely popular, and QUAD is now expanding its outlook for a day looking at the golden days of Japanese animated films and TV.

The day is inspired by the legendary UK VHS label Manga Entertainment, Ltd., which was launched in the UK in 1991, immediately birthing a subculture of fans devoted to the new and spectacular world of Japanese animation. For an anime fan a trip to HMV or the Virgin Megastore was not complete without heading down the VHS aisle to see what new and mild-altering Japanese animated film or series Manga Entertainment had brought to the UK.

Four films will screen on the day, in QUAD's largest screen – The Sir John Hurt Cinema.

The films screening are as follows –

1:00pm 

Patlabor: The Movie (PG)

1989 Japan Dir: Mamoru Oshii 99 mins

https://www.derbyquad.co.uk/events/patlabor/

Legendary director Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell) directed this big screen version of the popular franchise, set in a science fiction realm where the police make use of advanced robots called Labors to combat the criminals who make use of new technologies for illegal means.

3:00pm

Macross Plus Movie Edition (12A)

1995 Jaoan Dir: Shōji Kawamori 114 mins

https://www.derbyquad.co.uk/events/macrossplus/

In this groundbreaking animated film, which was one of the first to incorporate computer generated animation alongside traditional cel animation, the year is 2040 and the galaxy is flourishing with advanced technology. Fighter pilots Isamu Dyson and Guld Bowman battle over air superiority for the “Supernova Project.” 

6:30pm

Memories (12A)

1995 Japan Kōji Morimoto, Tensai Okamura and Katsuhiro Ōtomo 113 mins

https://www.derbyquad.co.uk/events/memories/

Memories is an anthology film adapting three manga stories by legendary anime and manga creator Katsuhiro Ōtomo (Akira). In Magnetic Rose a deep space starship is haunted by its former owner, a long-deceased opera diva. In Stink Bomb a scientist tries to cure a cold and inadvertently becomes a walking, talking weapon of mass destruction. The final part, Cannon Fodder, directed by Otomo himself and impressively designed to unfurl as a single unbroken long take, is set in a walled city where all of society works in the service of a gigantic cannon.

8:45pm

Perfect Blue (18)

1997 Japan Dir: Satoshi Kon 82 mins
https://www.derbyquad.co.uk/events/perfectblue/

The debut film of beloved anime director Satoshi Kon (Paprika, Tokyo Godfathers, Paranoia Agent) is a psychological thriller about a young woman who decides to leave her pop group to embark upon life as an actress, but finds herself fending off a host of provocative offers. Then, a string of murders begins to unfold, targeting those around her…

Anime-A-Go-Go has been co-programmed by Peter Munford, who has been screening East Asian cinema at QUAD under his Satori Screen banner since 2012, and Dan Keeling, whose Porlock Press film club has been bringing big screen showings of animated films to Nottingham since 2015.

Peter Munford said “I am massively excited to bring this event to QUAD. Our Godzilla-A-Go-Go and Kaiju-A-Go-Go events have shown there is a large appreciative audience for Japanese films in the UK, and that the best way to enjoy these films is always on the big screen with a likeminded crowd. These anime titles, which UK fans have mostly only ever been able to view at home, will look stunning on QUAD's biggest screen for what is sure to be a memorable day out at the cinema.”

Dan Keeling said “I'm absolutely thrilled and honoured to be part of Anime-A-Go-Go. As a comics and gaming-obsessed teenager in the 90's my mind was completely blown by the films and series that Manga Entertainment released in the UK. Porlock Press specialises in showing different kinds of animation from all over the world, but it always returns to my first love of classic anime. It has been a real dream-assignment for me to curate this day of screenings along with Peter at QUAD. We cannot wait to bring these films back to the big screen, and to share them with a room full of people!”

Passes to see all 4 films at Anime-A-Go-Go are priced at £30 (standard) and £25 (concessions) and can be booked at https://www.derbyquad.co.uk/anime-a-go-go/. Individual film tickets are also available at QUAD's normal ticket prices.