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Posts Tagged Viz Media

PR: Imperial Intrigue Awaits Readers in The Story of Saiunkoku

By Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, November 4, 2010

IMPERIAL INTRIGUE AWAITS READERS IN THE STORY OF SAIUNKOKU, NEW FROM VIZ MEDIA

Beautifully Illustrated Shojo Beat Series Depicts A Young Girl’s Rise In the Imperial Court To Become A Royal Confidant And Advisor

San Francisco, CA, November 4, 2010 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, delivers shojo-styled drama with the release of THE STORY OF SAIUNKOKU, written by Sai Yukino with artwork by Kairi Yura, available now in stores. The new manga (graphic novel) series will be published under the company’s Shojo Beat imprint, is rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Shurei Hong, destitute but of noble birth, has always dreamed of working as a civil servant in the imperial court of Saiunkoku, but women are barred from holding office. The emperor Ryuki, however, refuses to take command, leaving everything to his advisors. Shurei is asked to become a consort to the emperor to persuade the ne’er-do-well ruler to govern.

“THE STORY OF SAIUNKOKU will draw readers in with its beautiful artwork and smart, courageous heroine who dedicates herself to serving her country, rising in the ranks to become the emperor’s trusted advisor,” says Nancy Thistlethwaite, Editor. “This historical fantasy also inspired the popular anime series produced by Madhouse Studios. THE STORY OF SAIUNKOKU is an exciting new addition to the Shojo Beat imprint, especially for those readers who love romance and political intrigue!”

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PR: Viz Puts A New Spin on Art Therapy With Genkaku Picasso

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, November 3, 2010

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A TEENAGER’S ARTISTIC TALENT SAVES HIS LIFE IN NEW MANGA SERIES GENKAKU PICASSO FROM VIZ MEDIA

Shonen Jump Series Puts A New Spin On Art Therapy With A Unique Story

San Francisco, CA, November 3, 2010 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, brings the artistic styling of creator Usamaru Furuya’s manga (graphic novel) series, GENKAKU PICASSO, available to domestic readers now. The new property will be published in North America under the Shonen Jump imprint, is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Hikaru “Picasso” Hamura, a grouchy teenager with a talent for drawing, dies in a freak accident. The gods decide to revive him, but only on the condition that he use his artistic gift for the good of humanity. Picasso discovers that sketching a person’s aura yields a surreal portrait of their psyche. Stranger still, Picasso can dive into these dreamscapes and help people by exploring their deepest emotions, memories and perceptions.

“GENKAKU PICASSO blends mind-bending artwork with the teenage drama of a talented adolescent who gets a second chance at life,” says Daniel Gillespie, Editor, Shonen Jump. “Using his artistic skill, Picasso is able to draw a picture symbolizing a person’s subconscious, and then enter that portrait and manipulate the symbols in order to help them recover from past traumas. The series’ unique plot and multi-faceted characters are sure to engage readers on many levels. We recommend GENKAKU PICASSO to any fan of M.C Escher!”

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PR: Viz Media Launches Free Viz Manga iPad App

By Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, November 2, 2010

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VIZ MEDIA LAUNCHES FREE VIZ MANGA iPAD APP

App Debuting with NARUTO, DRAGON BALL, BLEACH and Other Greatest Hits of Manga; DEATH NOTE Volume 1 As A Free Download for a Limited Time

San Francisco, CA, November 2, 2010 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced its long-awaited digital manga (graphic novel) application for the Apple® iPad™ mobile device, launching today for FREE download through the iTunes Store. With this launch, the VIZ MANGA APP instantly becomes the leading destination to read Japanese manga on the iPad, with a downloadable library of the most popular manga series in the world.

The VIZ MANGA APP will launch on its first day with five legendary manga series, BLEACH Vols. 1-2, DEATH NOTE Vols. 1-2, DRAGON BALL Vol. 1, NARUTO Vols. 1-2, and ONE PIECE Vols. 1-2, as well as the recently launched BAKUMAN。 Vol. 1. In Week 2, the shojo fan favorite OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB Vol. 1 joins the lineup. All volumes will be available for purchase and download directly within the application for $4.99 per volume. In addition, DEATH NOTE Vol. 1 will be available as a FREE download for a limited time only. Readers are encouraged to check the app regularly, as new additions to the store and free Chapter 1 previews of other forthcoming manga series for the iPad will also be featured and added on a frequent and regular basis.

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Bakuman, One Piece, Viz Media

Swag Bag – Stellar Stacks of Demon Omnibus in Space

By Lissa Pattillo on Monday, November 1, 2010

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Happy Halloween! Er, a belated happy Halloween anyway. Hope those who celebrated it had a good time and didn’t get too stuffed on candy! While not treats of the sugary kind, I picked up a bunch of fun looking books last week.

It was a pretty hefty release week for Tokyopop titles so I left the store with a good armful of them. To start off, I picked up the first volume of The Stellar Six of Gingacho simply because it looked cute and I’m always up for giving a first volume a try. The interior art looks like a bit of a mess but hopefully the story proves more coherent. I love the colour scheme of the cover design though! Looking to try out another new series, and because I’m heard so many crazy things about it, I got the first volume of Demon Sacred which is by the same artist who did Jyu-Oh-Sei.

Next up I couldn’t resist their new How to Draw Shoujo Manga which shares how-to-dos and helpful tips for manga artists from a very Japanese-manga oriented perspective. This includes example material from a bunch of well-known manga artists including Fumi Yoshinaga. I’ll admit seeing her art on the back was the clincher to purchase this. Here’s hoping I learn something useful as I stare at the pretty artwork.

Continuing on with series I’m already collecting, into my basket went Mad Love Chase (Vol. 04) and Silver Diamond (Vol. 07). Both these series have admittedly begun to lose their luster for me but I’m stubborn with series I like (or have liked…)! Lastly for Tokyopop titles, I bought the second volume of Togainu no Chi because, well, it was on sale. I was pretty disappointed in the first volume but have been repeatedly told “It gets better!” so we shall see.

Adding to my swiftly growing stack of omnibus editions, from DelRey I bought the collected (Vol. 15,16,17) book of Air Gear -a series where the art is still fantastic even if the story keeps digging itself a deeper and deeper hole of WTF? – and (Vol. 08,09,10) of Mushishi – a series I’m collected sporadically because I liked the anime so much.

And to round out my shopping trips with a scattering from other companies, I got Twin Spica (Vol. 04) from Vertical, Dengeki Daisy (Vol. 02) from Viz Media – will it live up to my love of the first?! – and Himeyuka & Rozoine’s Story from Yen Press, which looks like a quaint little one-shot collection from a creator I’ve enjoyed works from in the past.

Anything exceptionally fantastic that came out recently that I’ve missed? Picked up something extra snazzy yourself? Let me know!

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Categories: Features, Swag Bag
Tags: Del Rey, Fumi Yoshinaga, Manga, Tokyopop, Vertical Inc, Viz Media, Yen Press

13 Days of Halloween: Uzumaki

By Shannon Fay on Monday, November 1, 2010

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Shannon, here – Halloween is my favourite holiday and to honour it I’m counting down 13 manga throughout the month that I think best capture the Halloween spirit. They aren’t all horror manga, as to me Halloween is about more than scares: it’s about a sense of fun and wonder. It’s about discovering that there may be more to this world than meets the eye. So with that in mind, there’s everything on this list from action-packed shounen to romantic-comedy to children’s manga to some lock-the-doors-and-leave-the-lights-on horror. (See all 13 Days of Halloween so far…)

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1. Uzumaki

There’s a game I like to play with Uzumaki. The rules are simple: open up any volume to any page and see if it shows you something horribly grotesque, unnatural, gory or just plain creepy. Ninety-nine point nine percent of the time, it will. And you never know what it will be: vampires who use drills instead of teeth, human beings maiming and contorting their bodies into unnatural shapes, giant snail people. And that’s just some of the weird stuff that goes on in this series.

Uzumaki is the tale of a small town called Kurôzu-cho, a seaside town that becomes plagued by spirals. It starts off slowly, with one resident of the town becoming obsessed with the shape. He starts collecting every example he can find and eating only food that have spirals in them (i.e. spiral patterned fish cakes). But what starts out as a weird quirk soon turns into something more deadly when spirals start turning up all over town. The smoke from the crematorium swirls sinisterly over the town, whirlwinds spring up out of nowhere, eddies appear randomly in streams. And then things get really weird. One resident, in her fear of spirals, snips the skin off of her fingertips. A girl’s tiny cresent-shaped scar twists and becomes a huge gaping vortex that sucks in everyone around her. People start turning into giant snails.

Kirie and Shuichi, two teenagers living in the town, seem to be the only ones who notice how Kurôzu-cho it slowly going crazy. But eventually (around the time people start turning into giant snail creatures) the other citizens start to take notice as well. But by then it’s too late, as the town is already in the grip of the spiral.

Uzumaki is the most inventive horror story I’ve ever seen in any medium. The wealth of ideas present and their fantastic execution makes this not only one of my favourite horror manga, but one of my favourite manga ever. If you only read one horror series this Halloween, it should be Uzumaki.

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Categories: Misc
Tags: Manga, Viz Media

13 Days of Halloween: Cat Eyed Boy

By Shannon Fay on Saturday, October 30, 2010

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3. Cat Eyed Boy

Kazuo Umezu is the creator of classic horror manga such as A Drifting Classroom, a stark story of survival in a post-apocalyptic world. While Drifting Classroom is certainly scary enough to be a Halloween manga, that’s not the only criteria for this list. The manga also need a sense of fun, even campy, to really make it feel like it’s something best read in October and not June or January. With that in mind, number three on this list is Cat Eyed Boy, another horror manga from Umezu.

The titular cat eyed boy is actually a demon who wanders around Japan, living in people’s attics and watching their lives unfold below. Wherever Cat Eyed Boy goes, strange things are sure to happen. In one story Cat Eyed Boy meets a family haunted by a disgusting monster made of bulbous, decaying flesh. In another story, a boy’s love for collecting insects turns out to be his undoing when the insects rise up against him.

The stories vary in length, tone and quality, but overall Cat Eyed Boy is a pretty campy horror anthology. The series is grounded in Japanese mythology, with many of the stories being new tellings of ancient myths.

Umezu’s art has a certain old-fashioned stiffness to it (I’ve seen someone compare his characters to mannequins). But his character designs for the monsters are much more lively and eye-catching, and since there are more demons and monsters in the series than normal people it works out pretty well.

You can read my review of the second volume of Cat Eyed Boy.

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Categories: Misc
Tags: 13 Days of Halloween, Viz Media

VIZ Launching Digital Supplement for Shonen Jump Subscribers

By Andre Paploo on Friday, October 29, 2010

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In the December 2010 issue of Shonen Jump USA, VIZ makes a major announcement with a splash page in the opening pages, and a small blurb in the next issue previews indicating-

“Subscribe NOW and next month you’ll get to read:

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan
Bakuman
Toriko

Available exclusively for subscribers online @shonenjump.com“

VIZ already operates a digital preview of monthly issues of the print magazine at on the Shonen Jump website along with sample of chapters of its ongoing graphic novel series. It appears this feature will launch next month, as there’s no news on VIZ’s Shonen Jump homepage as of yet.

Update: Shonen Jump Online Ad 01 | Shonen Jump Online Ad 02
(Editor’s note: Text is bottom of second image typed out for clarity.)

Shueisha themselves also have many sample chapters at their official English Shonen Jump homepage with sample chapters of their most popular series, and revolving samples of series unlicensed in the US like the currently showcased Light Wing. I’m assuming that VIZ’s site address in the magazine was a typo, though it would be interesting if they took over or merged with Shueisha’s shonenjump.com.

Whether the chapters of the three titles will simply be the usual 2-3 chapters of manga we see each month in Shonen Jump USA, chapters running simultaneously with the Japanese edition similar to Shonen Sunday’s Rin-Ne , or simply the usual 3-chapter preview we normally get for new manga in Shonen Jump is also unclear. At the moment, VIZ simply advertises it as an “online preview for subscribers only”. As such, it might be that these previews will be rotating series, though Toriko, Nura and Bakuman would make excellent ongoing additions if VIZ is planning longer runs. As both Toriko and Bakuman have already had short runs in the magazine, one would assume these online chapters will be from later in the series.

Nonetheless, this sounds like a major step forward for VIZ, adding a number of popular series that expand their offerings to their subscibers, and finding a way to potentially capitalize on digital manga by giving subscribers both a print and digital edition of the magazine with different sets of content. Given how lowpriced VIZ’s subscriptions are, around the same as 3-4 issues of the print magazine, this looks to be an excellent value for potential subscribers, and a different take from other initiatives not just by charging a subscription fee, but also by teaming it up directly with the print edition.

As a digital edition won’t be limited by page numbers, it also gives VIZ lots of room to grow in terms of adding further content. Personally, I hope fans support this iniative and encourage VIZ to build upon it. It’s a different approach with a more tangible value, a smart move to convince readers into boosting their magazine’s circulation, an inventive way to build on their existing digital anthologies, and a definite treat for those already subscribing to the magazine.

This is a small, but bold step for VIZ, considering the popularity of Bakuman, with Nura‘s anime being simulcast by their anime division, and Toriko also having a sizeable cult following. When one considers that there are only four regular ongoing series in the print edition currently, having three additional chapters online is a considerable boost, and the range of themes adds some diversity. Toriko‘s strange combination of First of the North Star style heroes and the cooking manga genre, Bakuman‘s manga about making manga aspect and Yura‘s anime tie-in make for an excellent range of titles. This will apparently be further augmented by the addition of print chapters of YuGiOh 5D‘s and Psyren, which appear to be ongoing additions rather than previews. It’s been awhile since VIZ added an ongoing series to the book, and these two should help break up the Naruto/OnePiece dominance the magazine has had lately.

I imagine some might quibble over the subscription aspect, but this is a move that serves their artists and subscribers well – rewarding their existing readership, and setting up a system that will potentially allow more content and profitability than an advertisement focused website like Shonen Sunday and SigIkki.

It remains unclear if this is the big news VIZ was touting as arriving this week, though the timing would indicate it just might be. This is a move with lots of potential, and a major step forward considering up until now, the majority of VIZ’s digital content came from Shogakukan. Having access to Shueisha’s titles for digital editions opens a lot of opportunities, and I hope fandom will move forward with VIZ on their new venture, and help stabilize manga in what have been uncertain times for the industry.

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Categories: News
Tags: Bakuman, Manga, Shonen Sunday, Toriko, Viz Media

PR: Silly Fun w/ Heart for Younger Readers – Panda Man and Taro

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, October 27, 2010

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TWO NOVEMBER RELEASES FROM VIZ KIDS

PANDA MAN TO THE RESCUE! and TARO AND THE MAGIC PENCIL Combine Stories of Fun and Mischief with Brain Tickling Puzzles and Games

San Francisco, CA, October 27, 2010 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, gives younger readers something to look forward to with the release of PANDA MAN TO THE RESCUE! and TARO AND THE MAGIC PENCIL on November 2nd.

PANDA MAN TO THE RESCUE!, TARO AND THE MAGIC PENCIL, and the subsequent books in each series, were created to tap into every child’s sense of play. The new titles, recommended for readers ages 6 years or older and part of the VIZ Kids imprint, tell the stories of a flatulent panda and a brave little pup. Each book offers a unique reading experience, mixing comic book elements with traditional prose. In addition, readers solve mazes, puzzles and riddles to move the stories along.

“We are really excited to offer these two new series,” said Traci Todd, Senior Editor, Children’s Publishing. “PANDA MAN TO THE RESCUE! and TARO AND THE MAGIC PENCIL are good, silly fun mixed with a lot of heart.”

THE ADVENTURES OF PANDA MAN: PANDA MAN TO THE RESCUE ·
MSRP: $7.99 US / $9.99 CAN · Available November 2nd
Boing Oing! It’s Panda Man, a roly-poly hero with a bottomless belly and the power of pee-yew! Evil villains are no match for our hero’s funky feet and flatulence, but he still needs your help! Together you can solve the mazes and puzzles that stand between Panda Man and ultimate justice…or his next meal. Whichever comes first!

THE ADVENTURES OF TARO: TARO AND THE MAGIC PENCIL ·
MSRP: $7.99 US / $9.99 CAN · Available November 2nd
Before his comic book drawings came to life, Taro was an ordinary boy. Now his characters are in danger, and it’s up to him to save them! With the flick of a magic pencil, Taro transforms into Terrie (a terrier) and enters his comic book world. The adventures ahead are more amazing than anything he ever imagined!

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Viz Media

ANN Review: House of Five Leaves (Vol. 01)

By Lissa Pattillo on Saturday, October 23, 2010

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Newish review up over at AnimeNewsNetwork, this time for a new-to-English-print SigIKKI series, House of Five Leaves.

While Natsume Ono’s previous works have left me a on the underwhelmed side, I found I enjoyed House of Dead Leaves. Her subtle charaterization was a lot nicer and less over-dramatic for the sake of being so. The Ero-period setting worked well and I think her art’s improved a lot too, House of Five Leaves being one of her more recent series.

In hindsight, I think my C+ grade for the art was a little low but my decision there was based on how extra subjective I think it is to people’s tastes. Natsume Ono’s art is always an easy deal-breaker as I see it. Personally I liked it here but the masses at large? Eh, maybe not so much by first impressions.

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Categories: Reviews
Tags: ANN Reviews, Manga, Viz Media

PR: Viz Media Offers Ninja Action in New Naruto Illustration Book

By Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, October 21, 2010

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NINJA ACTION LEAPS OFF THE PAGE IN THE NARUTO ILLUSTRATION BOOK FROM VIZ MEDIA

Full Color Character Portraits By Creator Masashi Kishimoto Are Depicted In Addition To A Fold Out Poster And Collectible Stickers

San Francisco, CA, October 21, 2010 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the release of the vividly colored NARUTO ILLUSTRATION BOOK on October 26th. The new soft cover edition is offered by the Shonen Jump imprint, features nearly 100 pages of original illustrations by creator Masashi Kishimoto, and will carry an MSRP of $19.99 U.S. / $27.00 CAN.

Naruto is a young shinobi (or ninja) with an incorrigible knack for mischief. He’s got a wild sense of humor, but Naruto is completely serious about his ongoing mission to be the world’s greatest ninja! The NARUTO ILUSTRATION BOOK features a variety of character portraits depicting the young ninja in action, as well as his cohorts including Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi. A color pull-out double-sided poster and a sticker sheet are also included.

Created by Masashi Kishimoto, NARUTO was first introduced in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in Japan in 1999 and quickly became that country’s most popular ninja manga targeting tweens and teens with more than 100 million copies in circulation to-date. The manga series (rated ‘T’ for Teens) and animated counterpart (NARUTO rated ‘T’ for Teens, and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens) are among VIZ Media’s most successful properties and have captivated millions of fans across North America, Europe and South America.

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Viz Media