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Posts Tagged Viz Media

PR: Viz Media Announces … New Manga Story Collection Time Killers

By Lissa Pattillo on Monday, August 18, 2014

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE SEPTEMBER RELEASE OF NEW MANGA STORY COLLECTION TIME KILLERS FROM THE CREATOR OF BLUE EXORCIST

Acclaimed Creator Kazue Kato Takes Readers To Locales Familiar And Foreign, Whimsical And Realistic, With Collected Manga Short Stories Published For The Very First Time In North America

San Francisco, CA, August 18, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, delivers a noteworthy new manga title to fans with the release of Kazue Kato’s TIME KILLERS on September 2^nd.

The single-volume standalone collection of manga shorts from the creator of the bestselling BLUE EXORCIST manga series will be published under the Shonen Jump imprint, is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $17.99 CAN. TIME KILLERS also features 13 pages of full-color artwork as well as a fold-out, full-color gatefold poster.

A digital version of TIME KILLERS will launch digitally on September 2^nd for $10.99 (USD/CAN) from VIZManga.com and through the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad^®, iPhone^® and iPod^® touch, Android-powered smart phones, as well as through the store fronts for comiXology, Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks and GooglePlay.

Explore fantastic realms of imagination in this stunning collection of short stories by Kazue Kato. With her amazing and distinctive art leaping from the page, TIME KILLERS includes Kato’s first work, Boku to Usagi (Me and the Rabbit), and also features the stories and character designs that would become her breakthrough series, BLUE EXORCIST. Take off on a flight of fantasy with TIME KILLERS!

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PR: Viz Media Debuts the Comedic Culinary Battle Manga Series Food Wars!

By Lissa Pattillo on Friday, August 8, 2014

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VIZ MEDIA DEBUTS THE COMEDIC CULINARY BATTLE MANGA SERIES FOOD WARS!

A Talented Young Chef Enrolls At An Exclusive Culinary School Known For Its Brutally Low Graduation Rate

San Francisco, CA, August 7, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, invites readers and aspiring gourmands to savor the delicious new manga (graphic novel) series, FOOD WARS!: SHOKUGEKI NO SOMA, now available.

The action-packed, saucy comedy about a boy’s determination to become a top chef features a story by Yuto Tsukuda with artwork by Shun Saeki and is published under the Shonen Jump Advanced imprint. FOOD WARS! is rated “T+” for Older Teens and carries an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. The ongoing series will see new volumes released on a bimonthly basis.

Digital versions of FOOD WARS Vols. 1 and 2 are already available for $6.99 each (USD/CAN) on VIZManga.com, through the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad®, iPhone®, iPod® touch, and Android-powered smart phones, and through the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks and GooglePlay stores.

In FOOD WARS!, Soma Yukihira’s old man runs a small family restaurant in the less savory end of town. Aiming to one day surpass his father’s culinary prowess, Soma hones his skills day in and day out until one day, out of the blue, his father decides to enroll Soma in a classy culinary school! Can Soma really cut it in a place that prides itself on a 10 percent graduation rate? And can he convince the beautiful, domineering heiress of the school that he belongs there at all?!

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Food Wars, Viz Media

PR: A Dark Vampire Romance Blossoms in the New Shojo Manga Series Black Rose Alice

By Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, August 5, 2014

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A DARK VAMPIRE ROMANCE BLOSSOMS IN THE NEW SHOJO MANGA SERIES BLACK ROSE ALICE

In New Series From VIZ Media’s Shojo Beat Imprint, A Celebrated Opera Singer Dies In A Tragic Accident, Returning As A Vampire With A Diabolical Mission To Spawn The Next Generation Of Undead

San Francisco, CA, August 5, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, notably expands its shojo manga (graphic novel) roster with the launch of the new series BLACK ROSE ALICE from award winning creator Setona Mizushiro.

BLACK ROSE ALICE, Vol. 1 is now available in print from the Shojo Beat imprint and is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens. Volumes each carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. Future installments of this continuing series will be released in English on a bi-monthly basis.

A digital version of BLACK ROSE ALICE, Vol. 1 is also available for $6.99 (USD/CAN) from VIZManga.com and through the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch, Android-powered smart phones, as well as through the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks and GooglePlay stores.

In BLACK ROSE ALICE, Dimitri Lewandowski is a celebrated tenor in early 1900s Vienna. When he is killed in an accident, his corpse is colonized by the seeds of a vampire master. At first, Dimitri denies that anything has changed, but as the people around him start dying, he is forced to accept the ghastly truth.

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Black Rose Alice, Setona Mizushiro, Shoujo Beat, Viz Media

Viz Media Announces New Vampire Knight and Multiple Princes

By Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, August 5, 2014

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I started a new job! I moved! And the manga world kept on spinning! Bear with me, reader,s as I play catch-up on the past month of manga mayhem and shiny madness over the next few days.

At July’s Anime Expo, Viz Media announced three new manga titles for their Shojo Beat imprint:

The Demon Prince of Momochi House – Aya Shouoto
Meteor Prince – Meca Tanaka
Vampire Knight: Life – Matsuri Hino

The Demon Prince of Momochi House is about a young woman who inherits a home that sits on the border between the human and spirit realm. Now tasked with maintaining that careful balance, she arrives at her new home only to discover that a young man is already there doing her job, and he refuses to leave. Throw in a sexy demon and the fact mr. stranger is eye-candy himself and I’ve no doubt mystery, fluff, flaunts and feelings await us.

This is Aya Shouoto’s third title to be licensed in English, the first being Yen Press’s He’s My Only Vampire, followed by Viz Media’s Kiss of the Rose Princess. I haven’t gotten to read any of her work yet, but I’m smitten by the artwork every time these licenses are announced. This newest one is thus automatically added to my must-try list as well. The first volume of The Demon Prince of Momochi House is scheduled for release in July 2015.

Meteor Prince is another title where I hope I can judge it by its cover, because it looks SO CUTE (pictured top left). The last time I read a book by Meca Tanaka, it was an old CMX title called Omukae Desu. I recall it being a cute story, but nothing especially memorable. It’s fun seeing how much her art has evolved over the years though, and I could never resist a shojo with that cover style. The story sounds as weird as I recall from her however. Meteor Prince is about a young woman whose string of misfortunes have earned her the nickname “The Queen of Bad Luck”. Just when she thinks she can’t get any unluckier, things take a turn when a naked, pretty-boy, alien prince falls out of the sky and proclaims her to be the one and only special someone he’s traveled to Earth to mate with. I suppose that could potentially be considered better fortune?

The first volume of Meteor Prince is scheduled for release in January 2015, and is currently available to pre-order on Amazon CAN|US.

Last but never least for Viz Media is a new short story for Vampire Knight. Vampire Knight: Life takes place directly after the series’ final book, but apparently isn’t something Matsuri Hino wanted included in the actual finale. Because of this the chapter won’t be printed in the last book scheduled for this October, but will be made available to buy digitally in December 2014 from VizManga.com. The bonus chapter further explores the relationship between Zero and Yuki.

Src: Shojo Beat @ Tumblr

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Categories: Licensing
Tags: Anime Expo, Aya Shouoto, Matsuri Hino, Meca Tanaka, Meteor Prince, Shojo Beat, The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vampire Knight, Viz Media

PR: Takeshi Obata To Appear at New York Comic Con

By Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, July 29, 2014

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TAKESHI OBATA TO APPEAR AT NEW YORK COMIC CON

Wildly Popular Manga Artist and Creative Force Behind Death Note, Bakuman。 and
All You Need Is Kill to participate in Panels and Autographing on October 9 and 10, 2014

NORWALK, CT – July 29, 2014 – New York Comic Con is rolling out power-packed appearances that showcase the hottest talent from around the globe. In continuing its unwavering commitment to celebrate the vast expanse of all things pop culture, ReedPOP, the world’s largest producer of pop culture events and producers of the event, today announced that renowned manga artist Takeshi Obata will be appearing as part of autographing and panels the Thursday and Friday of the show.

Obata is the artist of the wildly popular Shonen Jump title Hikaru no Go, which won the 2003 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize: Shinsei “New Hope” award and the 2000 Shogakukan Manga award. Obata is also the artist of Arabian Majin Bokentan Lamp Lamp, Ayatsuri Sakon, Cyborg Jichan G, and the smash hit manga Death Note. Following the hugely successful series Bakuman。 Obata’s latest work is All You Need Is Kill, a 2-volume adaptation of the novel which was also the basis for this year’s Tom Cruise blockbuster Edge of Tomorrow. Hikaru no Go, Death Note, Bakuman。and All You Need Is Kill are all published in North America by VIZ Media. Takeshi Obata is appearing at New York Comic Con with support of VIZ Media and the Japan Foundation.

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: All You Need Is Kill, Bakuman, Conventions, Death Note, hikaru no go, NYCC, takeshi obata, Viz Media

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Returns to North America!

By Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, July 8, 2014

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VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE RETURN OF THE CELEBRATED MANGA SERIES JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE TO NORTH AMERICA

First Three Parts Of The Acclaimed Multi-Generational Paranormal Action Adventure Manga Series Set For Digital And Print Release

San Francisco, CA, July 7, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, thrilled a packed audience of fans at the 2014 Anime Expo in Los Angeles this past weekend as it announced the much heralded return of creator Hirohiko Araki’s epic supernatural/action/adventure manga (graphic novel) series, JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE.

Volumes 1 and 2 of JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE: PART 3 – STARDUST CRUSADERS are now available digitally on VIZManga.com and the VIZ MANGA App for the iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch as well as for Android-powered smart phones and 7” tablets. The digital volumes also may be purchased through the Nook, Kindle, Kobo, iBooks and GooglePlay stores. Subsequent editions will be released every week for a total of 16 volumes. JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens and carries a digital MSRP of $6.99 US/CAN.

VIZ Media originally published the JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE STARDUST CRUSADERS manga story arc in print in 2005. Fans at the Anime Expo panel were further delighted with the news that the company’s SHONEN JUMP imprint also has acquired JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE PART 1 – PHANTOM BLOOD and JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE PART 2 – BATTLE TENDENCY and plans to release them digital as firsts across its proprietary and partner platforms in September 2014 and March 2015 respectively.

The print counterpart for JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE PART 1 – PHANTOM BLOOD will launch in print beginning in February 2015, with JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE PART 2 – BATTLE TENDENCY scheduled to debut Fall 2015.

In JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE, once there was a mighty bloodline of heroes: the Joestars. In the 1880s, Englishman Jonathan Joestar gave his life to defeat Dio, a megalomaniacal vampire. Now, 100 years later, Dio is back, and Jonathan’s descendants must travel to Egypt to destroy their ancestral enemy once and for all.

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Digital, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Shonen Jump, Viz Media

PR: On July 1st, Nice Guys Finish First in the Endearing and Laugh-Out-Loud MY LOVE STORY!! from Viz Media

By Lissa Pattillo on Friday, June 27, 2014

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NICE GUYS FINISH FIRST IN NEW ROMANTIC COMEDY MANGA SERIES MY LOVE STORY!! FROM VIZ MEDIA

Creator Of HIGH SCHOOL DEBUT Offers An Endearing Laugh-Out-Loud Story About An Underdog Who Finally Finds Love

San Francisco, CA, June 26, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, expands the catalog for its popular Shojo Beat imprint with the debut of the manga (graphic novel) series – MY LOVE STORY!! – on July 1st.

The new release, written by the author of the bestselling manga HIGH SCHOOL DEBUT, is rated ‘T’ for Teens and will carry a print MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. Future volumes of the continuing series are scheduled to be published 4 times a year.

A digital version also will launch on July 1st for $6.99 (USD/CAN) on VIZManga.com and through the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch, Android-powered smart phones, as well as for the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks and GooglePlay stores.

In MY LOVE STORY!!, Takeo Goda is a giant guy with a giant heart. Too bad the girls don’t want him! (They always go for his good-looking best friend, Sunakawa.) Used to being on the sidelines, Takeo simply stands tall and accepts his fate. But one day when he saves a girl named Yamato from a harasser on the train, his (love!) life suddenly takes an incredible turn! Takeo can hardly believe it when he crosses paths with Yamato again, and he finds himself falling in love with her… But with handsome Sunakawa around, does Takeo even stand a chance?

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: My Love Story!!, Viz Media

PR: VIZ Media Debuts Intense New Manga Of Humanity’s Future Gone Awry in TERRA FORMARS

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, June 25, 2014

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MAN’S COLONIZATION OF MARS GOES SHOCKINGLY AWRY IN THE INTENSE NEW SCI-FI HORROR MANGA SERIES TERRA FORMARS

Off-World Terror Takes A Deadly New Form In A Gripping Sci-Fi Action Series From VIZ Media’s Signature Imprint

San Francisco, CA, June 25, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, administers a spine-tingling dose of sci-fi horror with the launch of the new manga (graphic novel) series – TERRA FORMARS – on July 15th.

The series, illustrated by Kenichi Tachibana with story by Yu Sasuga, will be published under the VIZ Signature imprint, is rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers, and will carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN. Future volumes of TERRA FORMARS, which is continuing in Japan, will be released domestically on a bi-monthly basis.

In the late 26th century, overpopulation on Earth has reached the breaking point and humanity must find new frontiers. The terraforming of Mars has taken centuries but is now complete. The colonization of Mars by humanity is an epoch-making event, but an unintended side effect of the terraforming process unleashes a horror no one could ever have imagined…

In the opening volume, after humanity’s first manned mission to the Red Planet was lost, a second expedition arrives. The explorers prepare to exterminate the cockroaches that were used to transform the Martian environment, but are shocked to discover that the insects have mutated into giant, aggressive humanoids with one overriding goal – to exterminate all humans! However, this crew of explorers has each undergone the “Bugs Procedure,” a terrifying experimental surgery designed to make them more than human…

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Terra Formars, Viz Media, Viz Signature

PR: Naoki Urasawa’s Monster Manga Series Returns to Print In New Perfect Edition

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, June 25, 2014

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NAOKI URASAWA’S MONSTER MANGA SERIES RETURNS TO PRINT IN NEW PERFECT EDITION RELEASE FROM VIZ MEDIA

New Definitive Edition Of The Acclaimed Psychological Manga Thriller Delivers A Tense Crime Drama Filled With Conspiracy, Political Intrigue And Murder

San Francisco, CA, June 24, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, is proud to announce the release of the ultimate collection of creator Naoki Urasawa’s acclaimed manga (graphic novel) suspense masterpiece. MONSTER: THE PERFECT EDITION, Vol. 1 will debut on July 15th. The new print-only oversized release will be published under the VIZ Signature imprint, is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $19.99 U.S. / $22.99 CAN.

MONSTER: THE PERFECT EDITION is the ultimate version of the acclaimed psychological crime thriller. This new release features a new translation, remastered pages, and a generous amount of full-color content. Future volumes of MONSTER: THE PERFECT EDITION will be released four times a year in North America, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand for a total of nine volumes covering the entire series.

In Naoki Urasawa’s MONSTER, Johan is a cold and calculating killer with a mysterious past, and brilliant Dr. Kenzo Tenma is the only one who can stop him! Conspiracy and serial murder open the door to a compelling, intricately woven plot in this masterwork of suspense. In the first volume of the new PERFECT EDITION, everyone faces uncertainty at some point in their lives. Even a brilliant surgeon like Kenzo Tenma is no exception. But there’s no way he could have known that his decision to stop chasing professional success and instead concentrate on his oath to save peoples’ lives would result in the birth of an abomination. The questions of good and evil now take on a terrifyingly real dimension. Years later, in Germany during the tumultuous post-reunification period, middle-aged childless couples are being killed one after another. The serial killer’s identity is known. The reasons why he kills are not. Dr. Tenma sets out on a journey to find the killer’s twin sister, who may hold some clues to solving the enigma of the “Monster.”

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Monster, Naoki Urasawa, Viz Media

Manga Minis: Captain Ken Reaches Kickstarter Goal, More Tsubasa from CLAMP, Rescuse from Viz, and CNN Doesn’t Get It

By Lissa Pattillo on Friday, June 20, 2014

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CNN released a video report about manga and anime this week, in response to a recent bill being passed in Japan that bans child pornography. To little surprise, but plenty of outrage, CNN’s take on the subject was a pretty big over-simplification and make sweeping generalizations about entire mediums of entertainment. Fun!

I find the whole thing exhausting, as I generally do with these painful outsiders-looking-in reports that are just looking for a dramatic angle. It’s some relief knowing this sort of stuff always just blows over and away, but for those curious the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund did a good overview.

Digital Manga’s Kickstarter for Captain Ken reached its goal of $13000 this past Wednesday. The fundraising campaign still has twelve days to go, with additional pledges going towards its stretch goals for bonus material. The book is scheduled for release to backers in February 2015, with remaining volumes out to the public in March.

Viz Media announced two more ‘license rescues’ from Tokyopop’s expired library – Fate/Stay Night and Trinity Blood. Both titles are currently being released in digital editions under their Viz Select imprint. The books are available to read onViz’s website, or by downloading via their mobile apps.

Fate/Stay Night was never entirely finished by Tokyopop, though presumably we will see the end of the manga released by Viz. A new anime based on the original game of the same name is scheduled to start this Fall. Viz Media currently has the first three volumes available.

Trinity Blood was also an originally incomplete series. It had twelve of its currently seventeen (and on-going) volumes released by Tokyopop. Digital volumes will be made available on June 24th starting with volume one.

The manga-making team CLAMP announced that they’re creating a new Reservoir Chronicles Tsubasa series. The title will begin in Japan this summer and will connect to the already running, XXXHolic Rei. Each title acts as a semi-sequel to their original parent series, Reservoir Chronicle Tsubasa and XXXHolic. It’s CLAMP, so it’s complicated. Both originals have already been released in full in English, along with their anime adaptations.

Dark Horse is currently releasing XXXHolic Rei and has been re-releasing most of CLAMP’s previously published titles in shiny new omnibus editions. I imagine it’s only a matter of time until we see them pick up this new Tsubasa series as well.

After a seven year pause between releases, Viz Media was pleased to announce that they’re publishing the third volume of Bisco Hatori’s Millenium Snow this week. The previous two volumes of the vampire series were released back in 2007. Viz Media also released a handy 2-in-1 omnibus edition of Millenium Snow this week (Amazon CAN | US), making it easy for readers who don’t have the original singles to purchase the complete series to date. Bisso Hatori is best known for their previous series, Ouran High School Host Club.

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