Vampire Knight Among VIZ Media Anime DVD in May and June

VIZ MEDIA OFFERS SUMMER ANIME ACTION WITH NEW MAY AND JUNE DVD RELEASES

San Francisco, CA, April 28, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced an array of upcoming new anime DVD releases scheduled for May and June 2011.

New DVD releases in May include the latest from VIZ Media’s top selling anime properties, POKÉMON and VAMPIRE KNIGHT GUILTY. Two brand new series, HERO: 108 and KEKKAISHI, will make their long-awaited debut on DVD in June in addition to the latest box set installment of BLEACH.

May Anime Releases:

POKÉMON DP GALACTIC BATTLES Volumes 3 & 4 • Rated “A” for All Ages • MSRP: $14.97 U.S. each / $21.99 CAN each • Available May 10th

POKÉMON DP GALACTIC BATTLES GIFT SET 2 • Rated “A” for All Ages • MSRP: $24.92 U.S. / $35.99 CAN • Available May 10th

Ash and his friends are headed to Sinnoh’s snow country, where the weather is the least of their challenges. Dawn and her Pokémon face hard decisions about their future as a team. Ash faces a hard battle against Gym Leader Candice and her mighty Abomasnow – but even if he wins, he’ll still have to beat his rival Paul, who’s determined to avenge a bitter loss from the past. To top it all off, our heroes face a ground-shaking calamity when the Legendary Pokémon Regigigas awakes in Snowpoint Temple! Get ready for more rivals, more revelations, and more adventures!

POKÉMON DP GALATIC BATTLES GIFT SET contains Volumes 3 & 4 in a collector’s box.

For more information POKÉMON and other VIZ Kids titles please visit www.VIZ.com/pokemon/.

VAMPIRE KNIGHT GUILTY Volume 2 • Rated “T+” for Older Teens • MSRP: $19.97 U.S. / $28.99 CAN • Available May 17th

Continually haunted by visions of blood, Yuki is determined to discover the secrets of her past, but Kaname repeatedly evades her questions. Zero confronts Kaname at the Moon Dormitory, and the two end up fighting. Then Kaname advances his relationship with Yuki to an entirely new level, which has the members of the Night Class in a bit of a tizzy. But Yuki's dreams only intensify – will her past be forced into the light at last? Includes Episodes 5-8.

For more information on VAMPIRE KNIGHT, please visit: http://www.shojobeat.com/

June Anime Releases:

HERO: 108 SEASON 1, Volume 1 • Not Rated • MSRP: $14.97 U.S. / $21.99 CAN • Available June 14th

Long ago, the animals and humans of Hidden Kingdom lived together in harmony. But when the wicked trickster HighRoller turned the animals against the humans, chaos erupted! Now, the rebel force known as Big Green - led by ApeTrully and Lin Chung of First Squad - must battle to bring peace to the land. Episodes 1-6.

For more information on HERO: 108, please visit www.viz.com or http://www.vizkids.com/.

KEKKAISHI DVD BOX SET Volume 1 • Rated ‘T’ for Teens • MSRP: $49.95 U.S. / $71.99 CAN • Available June 21st

Yoshimori Sumimura is a 14-year-old student at Karasumori School. Following in the tradition that's come down through the generations, he is the twenty-second Kekkaishi of the Sumimura clan. But he’s constantly fighting with his rival, Tokine Yukimura – his childhood friend and also a Kekkaishi – about who is the rightful heir to the magical barrier arts. Protecting people from danger while growing stronger, Yoshimori will battle the forces of evil again tonight! The 3-disc set includes Episodes 1-13.

For more information on KEKKAISHI or other Shonen Sunday series, please visit http://www.shonensunday.com/.


BLEACH UNCUT DVD BOX SET Volume 9 • Rated ‘T’ for Teens • MSRP: $49.95 U.S. / $71.99 CAN • Available June 21st

In the perpetual night and white sand world of Hueco Mundo, Ichigo and the others fight their way to Las Noches, the stronghold of former Soul Reaper captain Sosuke Aizen, where Orihime is being held. In the depths of Las Noches, Rukia encounters Espada Number Nine, Aaroniero Arruruerie, who removes his mask to reveal a very familiar face – could he really be former Squad Three Lieutenant Kaien Shiba? The 3-disc set contains Episodes 146-156.

More information on BLEACH is available at Bleach.viz.com.


Kekkaishi Set 1

VIZ Media Offers Free "Kekkaishi" Download

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES FREE KEKKAISHI DOWNLOAD EPISODE

Special Promotion To Celebrate the Domestic Broadcast Launch of the Shonen Sunday Animated Series

VIZ Media invites fans to explore the demon-battling action adventure of popular Shonen Sunday KEKKAISHI anime series with a FREE Download-to-Own (DTO) episode starting today through VIZ Media partners iTunes, Xbox Live's Zune Marketplace, PlayStation®Network and Amazon Video on Demand. KEKKAISHI Episode 1 will be available for free download through June 17th to celebrate the recent domestic broadcast launch of KEKKAISHI on Adult Swim.

KEKKAISHI is based on the hit manga series by Yellow Tanabe (also published in North America by VIZ Media). A story of mystical forces powerful in the region known as Karasumori. For over 400 years, it has been the duty of a clan of “kekkaishi”—barrier masters—to guard this land and exterminate the supernatural creatures that are drawn to it night after night.

Yoshimori Sumimura is a junior high school student at Karasumori Academy, which is built upon the Karasumori grounds. By night, Yoshimori follows the tradition passed down through generations and fulfills his destiny as the twenty-second “kekkaishi” of the Sumimura clan. But by day, Yoshimori's got other demons to contend with, like an obsession with cake making and a seriously crotchety grandfather! Yoshimori's pretty neighbor, childhood friend and rival, Tokine Yukimura, is also a “kekkaishi,” but their families are caught up in a feud over who is the true practitioner of the art. Protecting ordinary people from the ever-present danger of the Karasumori grounds, Yoshimori will continue to grow stronger as he battles the forces of evil again tonight!

For more information on the KEKKAISHI anime and manga series (both rated “T” for Teens), please visit www.ShonenSunday.com or http://www.viz.com/.

Adult Swim to Broadcast "Kekkaishi" Anime

VIZ MEDIA LICENSES KEKKAISHI ANIME SERIES TO ADULT SWIM

Life Is a Wild Adventure For A Teenager Balancing Girls, Junior High School And Nighttime Demon Slaying

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has licensed 52 episodes of the popular Shonen Sunday KEKKAISHI anime series to Adult Swim for domestic broadcast. KEKKAISHI will begin airing on May 29th.

KEKKAISHI is based on the hit manga series by Yellow Tanabe (also published in North America by VIZ Media). A story of mystical forces powerful in the region known as Karasumori. For over 400 years, it has been the duty of a clan of “kekkaishi”—barrier masters—to guard this land and exterminate the supernatural creatures that are drawn to it night after night.

Yoshimori Sumimura is a junior high school student at Karasumori Academy, which is built upon the Karasumori grounds. By night, Yoshimori follows the tradition passed down through generations and fulfills his destiny as the twenty-second “kekkaishi” of the Sumimura clan. But by day, Yoshimori's got other demons to contend with, like an obsession with cake making and a seriously crotchety grandfather! Yoshimori's pretty neighbor, childhood friend and rival, Tokine Yukimura, is also a “kekkaishi,” but their families are caught up in a feud over who is the true practitioner of the art. Protecting ordinary people from the ever-present danger of the Karasumori grounds, Yoshimori will continue to grow stronger as he battles the forces of evil again tonight!

“Kekkaishi spotlights compelling cool characters, in an intense yet fun-filled supernatural action adventure saga. It possesses all of the hallmarks of great anime!” says William Germain, Director, Programming & Music Sales, VIZ Media. We are very excited to add KEKKAISHI to the Adult Swim anime lineup for U.S. fans to enjoy.”

For more information on KEKKAISHI please visit www.ShonenSunday.com.

About Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AdultSwim.com), launched in 2001, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s network offering original and acquired animated and live-action series for young adults. Airing nightly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET, PT), Adult Swim shares channel space with Cartoon Network, home to the best in original, acquired and classic entertainment for youth and families, and is seen in 97 million U.S. homes. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga (graphic novel) publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. Owned by three of Japan’s largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa and is a global ex-Asia licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including the popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine, graphic novels, and DVDs, and develops, markets, licenses, and distributes animated entertainment for audiences and consumers of all ages. Contact VIZ Media at 295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133; and website at www.VIZ.com.

Kekkaishi Anime Available at Hulu

Press release from VIZ Media:

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF THE KEKKAISHI ANIMATED SERIES ON HULU

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, brings the animated demon-battling action and adventure of KEKKAISHI to Hulu, an online video service that offers hit TV shows, movies and clips at Hulu.com and other online destination sites — anytime in the U.S. The series debuts with 5 episodes with new installments launching each week. To view KEKKAISHI, please visit http://www.hulu.com/.
KEKKAISHI is based on a hit manga series by Yellow Tanabe (also published in North America by VIZ Media). Mystical forces are powerful in the region called Karasumori. For over 400 years, it has been the duty of a clan of “kekkaishi”—barrier masters—to guard the land and exterminate the supernatural creatures that are drawn to the area night after night.

Yoshimori Sumimura is a junior high school student at Karasumori Academy. Following in the tradition that's been passed down through generations, he is the twenty-second “kekkaishi” of the Sumimura clan. But by day, Yoshimori's got other demons to battle: an addiction to sweets and a seriously crotchety grandfather! Yoshimori's pretty neighbor, childhood friend and rival, Tokine Yukimura, is also a “kekkaishi,” but their families are feuding over who is the true practitioner of the art. Protecting people from danger while growing stronger himself, Yoshimori will battle the forces of evil again tonight!

“KEKKAISHI is the latest series to join the VIZ Media family of animated titles available to U.S. audiences on Hulu and we hope that fans will enjoy its lively mix of adventure, comedy and demon-slaying action,” says Candice Uyloan, Director, Brand Management at VIZ Media. “We are committed to utilizing the web to deliver the best in anime through innovative web-based, video streaming outlets like Hulu. KEKKAISHI is an exciting addition to all the other top-rated anime from VIZ Media and we invite audiences to dive into this new series!”

Other VIZ Media animated titles available on Hulu include: BLEACH, THE PRINCE OF TENNIS, BUSO RENKIN, DEATH NOTE, HIKARU NO GO, HONEY & COVER, INUYASHA and INUYASHA: THE FINAL ACT, NANA, NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN.

For more information on KEKKAISHI or other SHONEN SUNDAY series, please also visit www.shonensunday.com or http://www.viz.com/. [END]