VIZ Media Announces New "Naruto" and "Bleach" Manga Box Sets

VIZ MEDIA TURNS UP THE HEAT ON SUMMER READING WITH NEW BLEACH AND NARUTO MANGA BOX SETS

Latest Box Sets For Seminal Manga Properties Set For Release In July; Each Set Contains 20+ Manga Volumes Along With Exclusive Bonus Premiums

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, prepares to thrill ardent fans of the BLEACH and NARUTO manga (graphic novel) series as it announces the forthcoming release of the latest box set editions for both titles.

Scheduled for release on July 7th, the BLEACH Manga Box Set 2 and NARUTO Manga Box Set 2 each contain over twenty individual manga volumes at a substantial savings over buying them individually. Exclusive bonus premiums, such as special mini-comics and full-color posters, are also included in each set.

BLEACH Manga Box Set 2 · Rated “T” for Teens · MSRP: $214.99 U.S. / CAN · Available July 7th

The latest BLEACH Manga Box Set contains Volumes 22-48 and includes an exclusive mini-comic containing the pilot story of the bestselling series along with a full-color, double-sided poster. In creator Tite Kubo’s manga series, BLEACH, Ichigo Kurosaki never asked for the ability to see ghosts – he was born with the gift. When his family is attacked by a Hollow--a malevolent lost soul – Ichigo becomes a Soul Reaper, dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping the tortured spirits themselves find peace.

In the latest Box Set volumes, after finally rescuing their friend Rukia, Ichigo and friends return to their quiet lives in the world of the living. However, the peace is short-lived as new enemies arrive from the world of the Hollows. Aizen is back, and Ichigo may be the only one who can stop him for good!

Additional information on BLEACH is available at: http://www.viz.com/bleach.

NARUTO MANGA BOX SET 2 · Rated “T” for Teens · MSRP: $174.99 U.S. / CAN · Available July 7th

Naruto is a young shinobi with an incorrigible knack for mischief. He's got a wild sense of humor, but Naruto is completely serious about his mission to be the world's greatest ninja! In the second NARUTO Manga Box Set, featuring Volumes 28-48, it's been more than two years since Naruto left to train with Jiraiya. Much has happened while he has been away, and new threats to the ninja world have emerged. Can Naruto prove his worth and rescue his friend Sasuke? The new box set also will feature an exclusive mini-comic containing the NARUTO pilot story and a full-color, double-sided poster.

Additional information on NARUTO is available at: http://www.viz.com/naruto.

For more information on other manga titles 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.

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Open Road to Distribute "A Willing Patriot," Starring Liam Neeson

OPEN ROAD FILMS ACQUIRES “A WILLING PATRIOT”

MADRIVER PICTURES WILL FINANCE AND PRODUCE WITH FILM 360, HOLLYWOOD GANG AND JASON KELLER

LIAM NEESON WILL STAR; OPEN ROAD FILMS WILL RELEASE WIDE IN 2016

Open Road Films has acquired all U.S. distribution rights to A WILLING PATRIOT, which reunites the company with Liam Neeson who will star and will be financed and produced by MadRiver Pictures, along with Film 360, Hollywood Gang and Jason Keller. The announcement was made today by Tom Ortenberg, CEO of Open Road Films and Marc Butan of MadRiver Pictures.

In the international thriller A WILLING PATRIOT, a CIA agent (Neeson) engages in an elaborate cat-and-mouse game with a sinister terrorist who's planning an imminent attack.

Martin Zandvliet (“Land Of Mine”) will direct A WILLING PATRIOT from a script by Jason Keller, who will produce along with Film 360’s Guymon Casady and Darin Friedman as well as Hollywood Gang’s Gianni Nunnari. Film 360’s Ben Forkner, Hollywood Gang’s Shannon Gaulding and MadRiver’s Ed Fee will oversee on behalf of their respective companies.

A WILLING PATRIOT will shoot on location in South Africa, Morrocco and Tunisia with Open Road Films planning a wide release in 2016.

“Working with Liam Neeson on ‘The Grey’ was a fantastic experience and a success in every way” stated Tom Ortenberg. “A Willing Patriot, like ‘The Grey,’ is top-notch character-driven film. We are thrilled to re-team with Liam and producer Marc Butan, with whom we are working on the upcoming release of ‘Triple 9,’ on this international thriller.”

“We’re excited to be back in business with Open Road,” said Marc Butan. “They showed passion and enthusiasm for this film from day one, and we couldn’t have found a better home for it.”

The deal was negotiated on behalf of Open Road Films by Tom Ortenberg, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel Elliott Kleinberg, and Executive Vice President of Production and Acquisitions Peter Lawson. Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which packaged and arranged financing for the film, negotiated on behalf of MadRiver Pictures. Neeson, along with MadRiver, are represented by CAA, while Zandvliet is repped by WME. Film 360 is represented by PJ Shapiro and Julian Zafijen, and Hollywood Gang and Keller are repped by attorney Carlos Goodman. Keller is repped by CAA and Management 360.


ABOUT OPEN ROAD FILMS
Open Road Films is a leading, independent, theatrical motion picture company, releasing a diverse slate of star-driven films which has included multiple #1 releases. It was founded in 2011 by AMC Entertainment Inc. (AMC) and Regal Entertainment Group (Regal), the two largest theatrical exhibition companies in the United States. Open Road and its lenders recently extended the company's $100,000,000 credit facility through 2018.

Current and past releases include: Nightcrawler, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, which took the #1 spot at the box-office during its opening week and received an Oscar® nomination for Best Original Screenplay, along with a Golden Globe nomination – it was named one of the best films of 2014 by the AFI and National Board of Review and top critics nationwide; the hit film Chef, written by, directed by and starring Jon Favreau along with Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson, John Leguizamo, Bobby Cannavale, Oliver Platt, Dustin Hoffman and Robert Downey, Jr.; The Nut Job, which opened to over $25 million at the box office as the highest ever opening for an independent animated film; The Grey, directed by Joe Carnahan and starring Liam Neeson, which opened #1 at the box office; End Of Watch, directed by David Ayer and starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña, which opened #1 at the box office; Rosewater, written and directed by Jon Stewart; A Haunted House starring Marlon Wayans; and Side Effects, directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Rooney Mara, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Channing Tatum.

Upcoming releases include: Dope (6/19/15), a critical hit and audience favorite comedy out of the Sundance Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival, written and directed by Rick Famuyiwa; Triple Nine, a thriller directed by John Hillcoat starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Casey Affleck, Anthony Mackie, Woody Harrelson, Aaron Paul, Kate Winslet, Gal Gadot, Norman Reedus, Teresa Palmer and Clifton Collins, Jr. (9/11/15); Rock The Kasbah (10/23/2015), starring Bill Murray along with Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson, Zooey Deschanel, Danny McBride and Scott Caan, directed by Barry Levinson; the Untitled Oliver Stone/Edward Snowden Project (12/25/15), written and directed by Oliver Stone starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Shailene Woodley; Spotlight, directed by Thomas McCarthy, starring Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber and Stanley Tucci; and Sleepless Night starring Jamie Foxx and Michelle Monaghan.

ABOUT MADRIVER PICTURES
MadRiver Pictures launched in May 2015 following an initial capitalization from a round of private and strategic investors and a $30 million revolving equity investment from Vendian Entertainment. The company plans to finance and produce a broad slate of 3-4 wide release films per year in the $15-50 million budget range.

The existing MadRiver Pictures production slate, includes: John Hillcoat’s “Triple 9” starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson, Kate Winslet, Aaron Paul and Anthony Mackie, which will be released by Open Road Films on September 11, 2015; Burr Steers’ “Pride & Prejudice & Zombies” starring Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston and Lena Headey, based on Seth Grahame-Smith’s bestselling novel, which will be released by Screen Gems on February 19, 2016 and James Gray’s “The Lost City of Z” starring Charlie Hunnam, which begins principal photography in August.

ABOUT FILM 360
Film 360 has THE GALLOWS coming out on July 10 through Newline/Warner Bros. and is currently in post-production on the STEVE JOBS movie at Universal Pictures which is coming out October 9. Film 360 is also producing LIFEBOAT with a screenplay by Bill Broyles, Joe Wright directing and Anne Hathaway producing and starring for Working Title and Focus Features.

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Craig Rousseau, Todd Dezago Added to 2015 Baltimore Comic-Con Guest List

Case, Dezago, Kemple, Rousseau, Woodall, & Yates Come to Baltimore Comic-Con

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - Buy your tickets now for the 2015 Baltimore Comic-Con, taking place the weekend of September 25-27, 2015 at the Baltimore Comic-Con. This year, the Baltimore Comic-Con welcomes back Richard Case, Todd Dezago, Chris Kemple, Craig Rousseau, Rich Woodall, and Kelly Yates.

Richard Case got his start at Marvel Comics, working on Strange Tales, but got his first real run on Doom Patrol at DC Comics. He has also contributed to numerous other noteworthy, acclaimed titles at DC, including Sandman, Shade, the Changing Man, Preacher, and Hunter: The Age of Magic. He is also a contributor to the Artist Alley Comics digital initiative. His recent work can be seen on DC Comics' Batman '66, Dynamite Entertainment's Flash Gordon and King: Jungle Jim, and variant covers from Action Lab Entertainment's Princeless: Raven the Pirate Princess.

Comics writer Todd Dezago has been a contributed noteworthy story lines to many Image, DC, and Marvel comic books. At Marvel Comics, he has scribed runs on Spider-Man, Sensational Spider-Man, Super Hero Squad, Marvel Adventures, Marvel Age: Spider-Man, Marvel Age: Spider-Man Team-Up, Cable, and X-Factor. For DC Comics, he has worked on Impulse, Teen Titans, JLA: World Without Grownups, Legends of the DC Universe, and Young Justice. Dezago's creator-owned titles, Tellos and Perhapanauts, are published through Image Comics, and have garnered much attention and kudos. Along with his co-creator, Craig Rousseau, Dezago is in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign for their newest work, The Perhapanauts: Into Hollow Earth.

Chris Kemple is one of the contributors to the digital comics effort, Artist Alley Comics, and his work can be found in G.T. Labs' Fallout. After graduating with a BFA in Painting and Drawing from East Carolina University, Kemple worked as an assistant at Artamus Studios with Richard Case, Mike Wieringo, Jeff Parker, Casey Jones, and Scott Hampton, among others. Currently a teacher and freelance artist, Chris was a founding member of and texture artist and 3D object modeler at video game development studio, Red Storm Entertainment.

Craig Rousseau has spent his career as an artist working on numerous noteworthy titles and runs. He has provided art on DC Comics' Batman Beyond, Harley Quinn, and Impulse, Marvel's Captain America & the Korvac Saga, Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane Season 2, and Iron Man & the Iron Wars, and he can be seen lately working on DC Comics' Batman '66, Image Comics' Perhapanauts: Danger Down Under, Dark Horse Comics' Dark Horse Presents, and Dynamite Entertainment's Pathfinder: Goblins! as well as Teen Titans Go! variant covers for DC Comics' Aquaman, Green Arrow, and Justice League of America. He currently has an active Kickstarter campaign for his newest work with co-creator Todd Dezago, The Perhapanauts: Into Hollow Earth.

Rich Woodall, also an Artist Alley Comics contributor, is known for his creator-owned titles, Johnny Rayguy, the Zombie Bomb! Comic Anthology, and Kyrra Alien Jungle Girl, the latter of which has appeared recently in Dark Horse Comics' Dark Horse Presents. He has also worked on Image Comics' Savage Dragon, The Perhapanauts, and more recently worked on a variant cover for IDW's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Kelly Yates has provided artwork for Amber Atoms, Tales of Tellos, and The Perhapanauts at Image Comics, numerous Doctor Who titles at IDW, including Doctor Who: A Fairytale Life and Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time, Fear Agent at Dark Horse Comics, and JLA-Z at DC Comics. He also wrote Image's Amber Atoms, and can lately be found contributing to Artist Alley Comics as well.

"We're excited to welcome all six of these gentlemen back to the show," said Marc Nathan, promoter of the Baltimore Comic-Con. "Each is a great creator, and we're sure our fans are excited at the opportunity to spend some face time with each of them!"


TICKETS
General Admission and VIP Package tickets for Weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as well as the Harvey Awards, are now on sale! Visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com/tickets/ for more information and to purchase your advanced tickets now, and as always, kids 10 and under get into the show free with a paid adult General Admission!

In the coming weeks, look for more announcements from the Baltimore Comic-Con. We are looking forward to highlighting our guests, the Harvey Awards, industry exclusives, and programming. The latest developments can always be found on our website, Twitter, and Facebook pages.


Contact Information
Please use the following e-mail addresses to contact the Baltimore Comic-Con:
press@baltimorecomiccon.com - for any general press inquiries or to be added to our PR distribution
promoter@baltimorecomiccon.com - for requesting exhibitor, publisher, and Artist Alley applications
registrar@baltimorecomiccon.com - for inquiries about submitted registrations
harveys@baltimorecomiccon.com- for the Harvey Awards ceremony and banquet
general@baltimorecomiccon.com- for general Baltimore Comic-Con inquiries

About The Baltimore Comic-Con
The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 15th year of bringing the comic book industry to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com.

About The Harvey Awards
The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry's oldest and most respected awards. With a history of over 20 years, the last 10 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in over 20 categories. They are the only industry awards nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. For more information, please visit www.harveyawards.org.

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"Rasputin" Comic Book Gets First Trade Collection in July 2015

RASPUTIN, VOL. 1 will hold readers spellbound this July

The historical fantasy series will be collected into trade paperback

New York Times bestselling author of novels The Yard and The Devil's Workshop, Alex Grecian, and the fan-favorite artist of Proof and Cowboy Ninja Viking, Riley Rossmo team up for an all-new twist on the tale of the infamous monk in RASPUTIN, VOL. 1. The first five issues of the series will be collected into trade paperback and available this July.

In one night Rasputin was poisoned, beaten, stabbed, shot in the head, and drowned, then tied up and thrown in a frozen river. But how did he get from Siberia to the Winter Palace? And why did it take so much hard work to kill him? RASPUTIN, VOL. 1 is a supernatural reimagining of the "mad monk."

RASPUTIN, VOL. 1 (ISBN: 978-1-63215-267-1) hits comic book stores on June 24, 2015 and bookstores on July 7, 2015, and will be available for $9.99. It can be ordered by retailers from Diamond Book Distributors with Diamond Code APR150546.

More praise for RASPUTIN:

“With intensely interesting subject matter, a strong story, deep and well wrought characters and a fantastically talented team firing on all cylinders, this book is a gem.” —Multiversity Comics

“Such a monumental idea could have easily fallen apart with the wrong artist, but Rossmo's talents help RASPUTIN move stunningly from page to page.” —Fangoria

“A really enjoyable read.” —Bloody Disgusting

“Some lovely art and very cool storytelling at play here.” —IGN

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"ODY-C" Comic Book Gets First Trade Paperback Collection

ODY-C, VOL. 1 retells the classic epic this June

The sci-fi series will be collected into trade paperback

New York Times bestselling writer Matt Fraction (SEX CRIMINALS, Hawkeye) teams up with Christian Ward (INFINITE VACATION, Olympus) for an expansive, immersive, retelling of Homer’s classic epic in ODY-C. The first five issues of the series has been collected into trade paperback and is available this month (June).

An epic 26 centuries in the making, ODY-C, VOL. 1 is set in the aftermath of a galactic war a hundred years long. Odyssia the Clever Champion and her compatriots begin their longest, strangest trip yet: the one home. ODY-C—the gender-bent, eye-popping, psychedelic, science fiction odyssey—begins here.

ODY-C, VOL. 1 (ISBN: 978-1-63215-376-0) hit comic book stores on June 10, 2015 and will be in bookstores on June 23, 2015, and will be available for $9.99. It can be ordered by retailers from Diamond Book Distributors with Diamond Code MAR150539.

More praise for ODY-C:

"A trippy, gender-flipped version of Homer's Odyssey hurtling through space on psychedelic, science fiction wings." —WIRED

“According to the letters page, they were going for a mix of Barbarella and a Cirque de Soleil show, and they hit the nail on the f*cking head. It's a kinetic, psychedelic, trippy journey through this new universe, this new history, with innovative panel layouts, action, and a musical quality to the whole thing. It's a helluva comic, unlike anything I've read in awhile” —Comic Bastards

“One of the best new series of 2014. Its the kind of Sci-Fi I want to see more of in the future: mature, adventurous and challenging.” —Nerds Unchained

“Despite the fact that the Odyssey is a very familiar story, Matt Fraction and Christian Ward play on audience expectations to craft a story that stands apart from the many adaptations of Homer's work. The abstract art creates a singular look for this world, which simultaneously appears futuristic and classic, and is rich in detail and subtle symbolism that elevates the story's themes. Fraction's decision to flip the genders is an interesting enough choice on its own, but he takes it one step further by playing against the contrasting warrior/mother sides of Odyssia. This team has singular creative vision, and they work together perfectly to execute it.” —Multiversity Comics

“The weird sci-fi Odyssey fever dream you didn't know you wanted… ODY-C gives new life to an old legend in a daring, profound way.” —Comic Book Resources

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites for the Week of June 7th to 13th, 2015 - Update #8

Posted by Leroy Douresseaux; you can support him on Patreon.

NEWS:

From YahooTV:  Jurassic World is apparently about to take over the world... box office.

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From Collider:  Pixar has apparently replaced the entire voice cast (except maybe one actor) of The Good Dinosaur, which is due in December 2015.  

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From Variety:  The great British actor, Christopher Lee, died on Sunday, June 7, 2015 at the age of 93.  He is probably best known as the actor who revitalized Dracula in the 1958, Horror of Dracula.  He was the 20th Century's second most famous screen Dracula.

Young fans will know him for his appearances in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films.  He was a James Bond villain in The Man with the Golden Gun.  He was "Count Dooku" in the second and third films of Star Wars prequel trilogy.  He was a close friend of one of my favorite actors, Peter Cushing (who died in 1994).  I believe that they are reunited.

From IMDb:  Christopher Lee: A Life in Pictures.
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From THR:  Apparently, Sony still wants "Bad Boys 3."  Joe Carnahan is circling to work on the script and to direct.  Michael Bay directed the first two films in the series.

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From THR:  The new comedy, Spy, wins the 6/5 to 6/7/2015 weekend box office with an estimated take of $30 million.  The Paul Reig film stars Melissa McCarthy.

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From CinemaBlend:  J.K. Rowling offers clues about an American wizarding school.


COMICS - Films and Books

From Collider:  Marvel and Sony at odds over which actor will be the next Spider-Man, apparently, my fave, Asa Butterfield, is out.

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From Vulture:  Someone else takes a shot at writing a screenplay adaptation of one of the greatest manga and comic books of all time, Akira.

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From YahooTech:  Joseph Gordon-Levitt says his "Sandman" film won't be a typical superhero film.


TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  The new trailer for Ridley Scott's "The Martian."


OBIT:

From Variety via YahooMovies:  The actress, Mary Ellen Trainor, died May 20, 2015 at the age of 62.  She appeared in numerous movies, including The Goonies, Die Hard, and all four Lethal Weapon movies, among many.

"Twin Star Exorcists" Manga Arrives in July 2015

VIZ MEDIA LAUNCHES THE NEW SUPERNATURAL ACTION MANGA SERIES TWIN STAR EXORCISTS

Series About A Pair Of Mystical Warriors With Intertwined Destinies Launches In Print And Digital In July!

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, unleashes the supernatural action manga (graphic novel) series – TWIN STAR EXORCISTS – on July 7th, 2015.

Created by Yoshiaki Sukeno, TWIN STAR EXORCISTS is rated ‘T’ for Teens and will be published in print with an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. The series also launches digitally on July 7th via VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and GooglePlay stores. Future volumes of the series, which is ongoing in Japan, will be published domestically twice a year under VIZ Media’s Shonen Jump imprint.

In TWIN STAR EXORCISTS, Rokuro is from a family of exorcists who exorcise the evil Kegare, but he’d rather be a singer, a soccer player or anything but! He’s forced to own up to his own incredible potential when new arrival Benio stirs his competitive spirit—and is in need of rescue. But their rivalry gets a twist when they learn they are the “Twin Star Exorcists” – two supreme fighters fated to marry and birth the prophesied child who will eliminate all the Kegare in the world. Too bad they can barely stand each other!

“TWIN STAR EXORCISTS is an electrifying and hilarious new manga series about a pair of unlikely mystical partners and their intertwined destinies that drew significant acclaim from fans and readers during its initial serialization in Japan in Jump Square magazine,” says Annette Roman, Editor. “Will these rivals fall in love? English readers now have the opportunity to dive into the action as the fate of two worlds hangs in the balance!”

Manga creator Yoshiaki Sukeno was born in 1981 in Wakayama, Japan and graduated from Kyoto Seika University’s School of Manga. In 2006, he was selected for a Tezuka Newcomer Award. In 2008, he began the supernatural manga comedy Binbougami ga!, which was later adapted into the anime series Good Luck Girl in 2012.

For more information on TWIN STAR EXORCISTS or other manga titles published by 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.

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