Ten Finalists Vie to Be Naruto's "Hokage for a Day" Contest

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES HOKAGE FOR A DAY TOP 10 VIDEO CONTEST ENTRIES

Fans Invited To Vote For Favorite Entry To Send Winner To Meet The Legendary NARUTO Manga Creator Masashi Kishimoto At New York Comic Con

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, has announced the final stage of its Hokage for a Day Promotion to celebrate NARUTO and the upcoming first-ever U.S. appearance by the manga series creator Masashi Kishimoto at the 2015 New York Comic Con (NYCC) in October.

Over the past 6 weeks, fans have submitted more than 800 entries to the contest, which encouraged hopeful winners to create a one-minute YouTube video describing what NARUTO means to them. The Hokage for a Day Grand Prize winner and a guest will have the opportunity to meet NARUTO creator Masashi Kishimoto on October 10th during NYCC, and participate in several of Kishimoto’s events during the show. The Grand Prize package also includes airline tickets and hotel accommodations, as well as transportation and a pair of NYCC show passes, courtesy of VIZ Media. The contest winner will be announced by VIZ Media around September 8th.

VIZ Media and ReedPOP, in partnership with The Japan Foundation, will welcome Kishimoto for a very special series of personal appearances at the massive pop culture convention that will take place October 8th-11th at the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. Full details on the show are available at: www.newyorkcomiccon.com.

Fans are invited to screen the following videos and by Sunday September 6th, vote for their own favorites at: viz.com/naruto?tab=hokageforaday.

The Inspiring, Top 10 NARUTO Hokage for a Day Video Selections:

Amanda: www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_Dgf9PHjYU
Amanda showcases her NARUTO collection (amassed over ten years) and her handmade cosplay and artwork!

Brittney McConway: https://youtu.be/4qr-gsZLTRY
NARUTO became the muse for Brittney to start her own life coaching business, which uses a fun anime/manga approach to deal with depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.

Cassidy Kerr: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc49pcwAzsw
Cassidy not only has S-rank NARUTO collection, she was inspired to introduce NARUTO and cosplay to her family/friends!

Christina Faye: www.youtube.com/watch?v=m25JNj5htkk&feature=youtu.be
Christina has been a fan since the manga debut, and is inspired by and cosplays as Sakura.

Custat: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCOY4xmKA2s&feature=youtu.be
Custat  animates herself for her video entry, and dreams of becoming a manga-ka!

Dinah Baergas: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWZzGWV30-Q
Dinah is an ardent fan who cosplays as Guy (“Maito Gai”) and also works to improve her community.

Randi Willett: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjFpPHHe_sg
Randi and her twin sister cosplayed as Naruto and Sasuke for over 10 years.

Steven Gathings: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d45AT0tPFPs&feature=youtu.be
Steven and his friends create a NARUTO fan film!

Thomas Molina: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePzRnxRWcpA&feature=youtu.be
NARUTO got Thomas through 2 bouts of leukemia, and it became a source of strength to persevere through trying times.

Victor Lee: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AUODewW5lY
The tenets of friendship and teamwork in NARUTO inspired Victor to strive to be a Hokage in his own community, and he volunteers for March of Dimes and Baton Rouge Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation!

The final volume of the NARUTO manga series (rated ‘T’ for Teens) will be published by VIZ Media in print and also digitally in October and brings the long-running ninja action adventure to its thrilling conclusion. The first NARITO spin-off movie, BORUTO: NARUTO THE MOVIE, which launches a new storyline and characters focusing on the son of Naruto, will launch in the Fall.

Additional information on NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN is available at www.Naruto.com.

For more information on manga titles available from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.


About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and ONE PIECE, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.  VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products.  Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

--------------------