Naruto Creator, Masashi Kishimoto, to Make "New York Super Week" Appearances

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES NARUTO CREATOR MASASHI KISHIMOTO’S PARTICIPATION IN SPECIAL NEW YORK SUPER WEEK APPEARANCES

Renowned Creator Of Bestselling Manga Series Makes First-Ever U.S. Appearance At NY Comic Con, And Will Appear At Kinokuniya And Barnes & Noble Manhattan Locations

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, prepares to welcome Masashi Kishimoto, the renowned creator of the NARUTO manga (graphic novel) series, for his first-ever U.S. appearance at the 2015 New York Comic Con and delights fans with today’s news that Kishimoto also will participate in a pair of signings sessions and in-store appearances as part of New York Super Week, co-sponsored by the Japan Foundation. The personal appearances will take place at the Manhattan locations of Kinokuniya Bookstore and Barnes & Noble Tribeca, on October 9th and 10th, 2015, respectively.

“Masashi Kishimoto has had a tremendous impact on the pop culture landscape with NARUTO, and the bestselling series has captivated millions of fans internationally and introduced scores more to the exciting world of manga,” says Andy Nakatani, Editor in Chief, WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP. “We are honored to welcome him to New York Comic Con and Super Week and invite fans to share in the excitement with these special personal appearances!”

New York Comic Con, the crown jewel of New York Super Week, will take place October 8-11, 2015. The annual event is the East Coast's biggest and most exciting popular culture convention with the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies and television. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.NewYorkComicCon.com or and New York Comic Con’s social media pages (Facebook, Twitter & Instagram).

New York Super Week precedes the 2015 New York Comic Con and runs October 5th to 11th. The unique immersive pop culture event transforms the entire island of Manhattan into a playground for a colorful array of superheroes, villains, cosplayers, artists, celebrities and passionate fans of from all over the world that gather to take part in a variety of themed events all over the City including concerts, comedy shows, gaming events, lectures, podcasts, storytelling, food tastings. Full details are available at: http://www.newyorksuperweek.com.

Masashi Kishimoto Kinokuniya Signing Event        
Friday, Oct. 9th, 8:30pm      
Kinokuniya Book Store, 1073 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10018

Meet Masashi Kishimoto, creator of NARUTO, the best-selling manga series that inspired a generation of fans around the world and spawned hit anime series, movies, video games, novels and more. This event is an extremely rare opportunity to see the legendary Kishimoto in his first public appearances outside of Japan.

All participants must secure a SuperWeek event ticket. NARUTO Volume 72, featuring an exclusive New York Comic Con variant cover drawn by Kishimoto, will be available for purchase. Attendees will receive a free autographed Shikishi art board with purchase of one of Kishimoto’s works. (*Note: Kishimoto will only sign the provided shikishi and on-site purchased book.) For additional information and tickets, please visit: http://www.newyorksuperweek.com/en/Sessions/14846/Masashi-Kishimoto-Signing

Masashi Kishimoto Barnes & Noble Tribeca Signing Event       
Saturday, Oct. 10th, 3:30pm
Barnes & Noble Tribeca, 97 Warren St., New York, NY 10007

Masashi Kishimoto makes his second appearance for New York Super Week at the Barnes & Noble Tribeca location. The Barnes & Noble Tribeca signing will be limited to the first 110 customers that purchase one of Kishimoto’s works; NARUTO Volume 72 featuring an exclusive New York Comic Con variant cover drawn by Kishimoto will also be available for purchase at this venue. Each person will receive an exclusive shikishi art board signed personally signed by the artist. (*Note: Kishimoto will only sign the provided shikishi and on-site purchased book.) For additional info, please visit: http://www.newyorksuperweek.com/en/Sessions/14847/Masashi-Kishimoto-Signing

Masashi Kishimoto was born in 1974 in rural Okayama Prefecture, Japan. His first version of NARUTO, drawn in 1997, was a one-shot story about fox spirits; his final version, which debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999, quickly became the most popular ninja manga in the world. The series spawned multiple anime series, movies, novels, video games and more. Having concluded the series in late 2014, he has kept himself busy with the side-story Naruto: The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring and with writing the story for the latest Naruto movie, both of which will focus on the title character’s son, Boruto. The NARUTO manga series is published in North America by VIZ Media.

For more information on NARUTO manga and anime titles published by VIZ Media, please visit viz.com/naruto.


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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The Academy and Siggraph Celebrate Aardman Animations

AARDMAN ANIMATIONS COMING TO THE ACADEMY AND SIGGRAPH

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences celebrates the work of Aardman Animations with three programs featuring the studio’s Oscar®-winning and nominated Wallace and Gromit shorts on Friday, August 7, and Sunday, August 9, 2015.

Wallace and Gromit Restored – The Marc Davis Celebration of Animation
Friday, August 7, 7:30 p.m. │Samuel Goldwyn Theater, Beverly Hills

As part of the Academy’s Marc Davis Celebration of Animation series, Aardman Animations co-founder David Sproxton and Wallace and Gromit cinematographer Dave Alex Riddett will discuss the making of the studio’s Oscar-winning shorts “The Wrong Trousers” and “A Close Shave,” and the Oscar-nominated shorts “A Grand Day Out” and “A Matter of Loaf and Death.” The program also will include the world premiere screening of the restorations of all four films, the result of a collaborative effort between the Academy Film Archive and Aardman Animations.

Click here for more information and to purchase tickets

Cracking Animation: Behind the Scenes at Aardman
Sunday, August 9, 9 a.m. │ Los Angeles Convention Center, Downtown Los Angeles

The Academy returns to SIGGRAPH Conference with a panel featuring Sproxton and Riddett, who will trace the arc of Aardman’s voyage over the last three decades, present clips of the studio’s work, and discuss the evolving production techniques and future prospects of stop-motion animation.

Click here for more information

A Grand Day Out: Wallace and Gromit Family Matinees
Sunday, August 9, 1–5:30 p.m. │Linwood Dunn Theater, Hollywood

The Academy presents matinee screenings of all four Wallace and Gromit shorts for families, as well as an animation workshop for children ages 8 to 13. The 90-minute hands-on workshop will offer a small group of participants the opportunity to learn some of Aardman Animations’ stop-motion techniques.

Click here for more information and to purchase tickets

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Bernie Wrightson and John Ostrander Among New 2015 Baltimore Comic Con Guests

Finch, Kitson, Ostrander, Van Sciver, and Wrightson in Baltimore

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - The weekend of September 25-27, 2015 is the 2015 Baltimore Comic-Con in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Come to the Baltimore Convention Center for all of the excitement! Buy your VIP, General Admission, and Harvey Award tickets now to avoid the lines. The Baltimore Comic-Con welcomes industry giants David Finch, Barry Kitson, John Ostrander, Ethan Van Sciver, and Bernie Wrightson.

Joining us from Canada, David Finch received recognition for his early work at Top Cow Productions on titles such as Cyberforce, Ascension, and Aphrodite IX. He then went on to spend a number of years at Marvel Comics, working on blockbuster titles including Ultimate X-Men, Avengers (and the relaunched New Avengers), and Moon Knight before jumping into an exclusive contract with DC Comics in 2010 where he flexed his writing muscles as well as his drawing skills on Batman: The Dark Knight. He also worked on DC's Forever Evil, and is currently providing art on Wonder Woman (with his wife Meredith on writing duties).

British comic artist Barry Kitson broke into the industry while drawing Spider-Man for Marvel UK in 1985. Throughout his career, he has worked on such titles as Amazing Spider-Man, Legion of Superheroes, 2000 AD, Batman, and Incredible Hulks. He recently handled art duties for Marvel's Captain America and Iron Man and can be seen working on IDW's Star Trek/Green Lantern covers, Valiant's Ivar, Timewalker covers, and interiors and covers for his creator-owned Empire: Uprising with Mark Waid, also published by IDW.

Multiple Eisner Award nominee John Ostrander received his published credits in First Comics' Warp in the 1980s. He is co-creator of the character Grimjack with Timothy Truman, published originally in First Comics' Starslayer before going on to appear in its own title. He has worked on DC Comics' Firestorm, Hawkman, Justice League, Martian Manhunter, Manhunter, The Spectre, Suicide Squad (currently in the midst of becoming a major motion picture!), and Wasteland, and on Marvel Comics' Bishop, Blaze of Glory, Heroes for Hire, The Punisher, Quicksilver, and X-Men. At Dark Horse Comics, he has written numerous Star Wars titles, and has also done work on Lady Death for Chaos! Comics, and Magnus, Robot Fighter, Rai and the Future Force, and Eternal Warrior for Valiant Comics. He has recently penned a Conan story in Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword from Dark Horse comics.

Ethan Van Sciver has been an exclusive artist for DC Comics for 12 years, with runs on Green Lantern, Flash, Batman the Dark Knight, and Firestorm. He's also worked on Sinestro, Justice League, Convergence, Impulse, Sensation Comics Presents Wonder Woman, and too many more titles to name! Plus, he's a cover artist, with numerous contributions to both DC and Marvel, where he assisted Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely as fill-in artist on New X-Men. He co-created Green Lantern's Emotional Spectrum, designed all of those lovely symbols associated with it, and created Atrocitus, Saint Walker, Larfleeze, Indigo-1, and lots of others. These days he's back in the Lanternverse, providing fill-ins for Green Lantern. He lives in New Jersey with his girlfriend and two kids.

Originally from the Baltimore area, Bernie Wrightson got his first break in comics at DC in 1968, drawing a story that appeared in House of Mystery. His work grew to include titles at Marvel Comics, including Chamber of Darkness and Tower of Shadows, where he continued to develop his lush art style. Wrightson is co-creator of Swamp Thing from DC's House of Secrets. He moved onto Warren Publishing's black and white horror magazines, Heavy Metal magazine, and even National Lampoon. He has since returned to comics, including the Marvel Graphic Novels Spider-Man: Hooky and The Incredible Hulk and the Thing: The Big Change, DC's The Weird and Batman: The Cult, and IDW's Frankenstein Alive, Alive!

"What a treat to have such high caliber talent," said Marc Nathan, promoter of the Baltimore Comic-Con. "Every one of these guys is a giant in the comics industry, and their combined body of work is something to behold."

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!

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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Review: "Batman vs. Robin" Finds a Star in Nightwing

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 30 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

Batman vs. Robin (2015) – Video
Running time:  80 minutes (1 hour, 20 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense action and violence, suggestive images and thematic elements
DIRECTOR:  Jay Oliva
WRITER:  J.M. DeMatteis (based on characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger; Marv Wolfman and George Perez; and Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo)
COMPOSER:  Frederik Wiedmann
EDITOR:  Christopher D. Lozinsk
ANIMATION STUDIO:  The Answerstudio

ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION/FANTASY

Starring:  (voices) Jason O'Mara, Stuart Allan, Sean Maher, David McCallum, Jeremy Sisto, Robin Atkin Downes, Griffin Gluck, Grey Griffin, Kevin Conroy, “Weird Al” Yankovic, and Andrea Romano

Batman vs. Robin is a 2015 straight-to-video animated superhero film from Warner Bros. Animation.  It is the 22nd film in Warner's line of DC Universe original animated movies.  The film focuses DC Comics' dynamic duo, Batman and his ten-year-old son who is the current Robin.

Batman vs. Robin opens with Damian Wayne (Stuart Allan), the current Robin, racing to confront the monstrous child abductor, The Dollmaker (“Weird Al” Yankovic).  Damian's rash actions lead to a confrontation with his biological father, Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman (Jason O'Mara).  During the battle with The Dollmaker, Damian meets a mysterious costumed-figure named Talon (Jeremy Sisto), whose violent methods are similar to his own.

Back at Wayne Manor, there is tension, as Damian struggles to follow Bruce's strict rules, especially his no-killing rule when they are Batman and Robin.  Damian decides to meet Talon and learns of a secret society known as the Court of Owls.  Damian does not know that this group has an old and troubling connection to Bruce Wayne.

Batman vs. Robin is mildly entertaining.  I found the Wayne Manor battle royale that dominates this animated film's last act to be invigorating.  The rest of the film interested me only a little.  I found myself drawn to Nightwing/Dick Grayson (Sean Maher), a supporting character to the Batman and Robin family-strife act, and I have to admit that I would have found it difficult to watch this movie without Nightwing appearing in it.

Batman and the Damian Wayne Robin make an interesting dynamic, but it is better with Nightwing.  I think that I will remember Batman vs. Robin for Nightwing.

6 of 10
B

Friday, July 31, 2015


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Review: "Justice League: Throne of Atlantis" is a Tidal Wave of Fun

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 29 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015) – Video
Running time:  72 minutes (1 hour, 12 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action throughout
DIRECTOR:  Ethan Spaulding   
WRITER:  Heath Corson (based on the comic book by Geoff Johns, Paul Pelletier, and Ivan Reis)
COMPOSER:  Frederik Wiedmann
EDITOR:  Christopher D. Lozinsk
ANIMATION STUDIO:  Moi Animation Studios

ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION/FANTASY

Starring:  (voices) Matt Lanter, Sumalee Montano, Sam Witwer, Jerry O'Connell, Jason O'Mara, Rosario Dawson, Nathan Fillion, Christopher Gorham, Shemar Moore, Sean Astin, Sirena Irwin, Matthew Yang King, Jay Johnson, and Larry Cedar

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis is a 2015 straight-to-video animated superhero film from Warner Bros. Animation.  It is the 21st film in Warner's line of DC Universe original animated movies.  The film features DC Comics' top superhero team, the Justice League, with a focus on Aquaman.

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis is loosely based on the 2012-13 comic book story line, “Throne of Atlantis.”  Written by Geoff Johns and drawn by artists Ivan Reis and Paul Pelletier, “Throne of Atlantis” was published in Justice League (2011) #15-17 and Aquaman (2011) #14-16.  Throne of Atlantis the animated film pits Aquaman against his half-brother for the throne of Atlantis, as the Justice League tries to stop a war between the humans on the surface and the people of underwater kingdom of Atlantis.

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis opens with a mysterious attack against the S.S. California, a United States Navy submarine, in the Marianas Trench.  The attack is the first salvo in a war that Orm (Sam Witwer), a prince of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, wishes to declare on the surface world.  His mother, Queen Atlanna (Sirena Irwin), seeks peace with the humans on the surface.  Atlanna sees her half-human/half-Atlantean son, Arthur Curry (Matt Lanter), as the key to this peace, and she sends a trusted warrior, Mera (Sumalee Montano), to protect Arthur and to inform him of his royal heritage.

Meanwhile, the Justice League:  Superman (Jerry O'Connell), Wonder Woman (Rosario Dawson), Batman (Jason O'Mara), Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Flash (Christopher Gorham), Shazam (Sean Astin), and Cyborg (Shemar Moore), does not really function as a unified group of superheroes protecting the world.  Only Cyborg has remained dedicated, but after he is attacked while investigating the attack on the S.S. California, he forces the issue with his erstwhile teammates.  Can the Justice League unite in time to defeat the plans of Orm and his partner, Black Manta?  Can Arthur Curry rise to the occasion and become the hero known as “Aquaman?”

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis is neither an exceptional “DC Universe” animated movie, nor is it a particularly special Justice League animated film.  Personally, there wasn't enough Batman in it to suit me, although, to be honest, most of the DC Comics animated films either star Batman or feature him in a prominent role.

Throne of Atlantis is entertaining, and I wouldn't have minded if the film lasted longer; of its 72 minutes of run time, barely 65 minutes features actual story and action.  This film's version of Atlantis is intriguing, but the movie doesn't reveal much about this underwater kingdom other than that its citizens are ready to kill surface dwellers with little provocation.  I must say that the creatures, armor, and machines of war for Atlantis are strikingly designed.  A longer film could have shown us more sides of Atlantis and not just the martial side.

Of note, Nathan Fillion delivers an uninspired voice performance as Green Lantern, but Shemar Moore shines as Cyborg.  I have to be honest with you, dear reader, I am always up for watching a DC Universe animated film, so Justice League: Throne of Atlantis pleased me and did leaving me wanting more, simply because it is fun to watch.

7 of 10
B+

Sunday, July 12, 2015


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

First "Zoolander 2" Teaser Arrives

ZOOLANDER 2
WATCH THE NEW TEASER: https://youtu.be/09nTwccQTUA

Zoolander 2 is in theaters February 12, 2016!

https://www.facebook.com/ZoolanderMovie

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VIZ Media Announces More Titles for 2016

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES A TRIO OF EXCITING NEW MANGA AND ART BOOK ACQUISITIONS

GOODNIGHT PUNPUN, BLANC ET NOIR Art Book, And New Shojo Manga Series THE HEIRESS AND THE CHAUFFEUR Announced For Spring 2016 Release

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America continues to expand its extensive manga (graphic novel) catalog and gives fans and readers a sneak peek at a trio of notable new titles scheduled to launch during the Spring of 2016.

The company’s newest publishing acquisitions were detailed this past weekend at Otakon 2015, one of the biggest anime/pop culture conventions on the East Coast.

The forthcoming releases include the BLANC ET NOIR art book, a special high-end volume to be published under the Art of Shonen Jump imprint collecting the work of the famed manga artist Takeshi Obata (DEATH NOTE) and set to be released in a limited print run of only 10,000 copies. Also launching in the Spring of 2016 will be GOODNIGHT PUNPUN, a dark and edgy coming-of-age tale from the Eisner- and Harvey Award-nominated creator Inio Asano. Shojo manga fans also can look forward to the Spring 2016 debut of creator Keiko Ishihara’s series about a wealthy girl’s relationship with her handsome driver in THE HEIRESS AND THE CHAUFFEUR.

“These upcoming new VIZ Media titles are sure to become highlights for scores of manga fans next spring,” says Hope Donovan, Managing Editor. “From Takeshi Obata’s beautiful artwork presented in the lavish BLANC ET NOIR art book, to the teenage angst of GOODNIGHT PUNPUN and the romantic master-and-servant drama of THE HEIRESS AND THE CHAUFFEUR, these new releases each will take the reader on amazing journey!”

New Spring 2016 Acquisitions

GOODNIGHT PUNPUN, by Inio Asano · Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers · Debuting Spring 2016

Meet Punpun Punyama. He’s an average kid in an average town. He wants to win a Nobel Prize and save the world. He wants to go far away with his true love. He wants to find some porn. But Punpun’s average life is about to unravel…

GOODNIGHT PUNPUN is an edgy, dark coming-of-age story from Inio Asano, the Eisner- and Harvey-nominated creator of SOLANIN, WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD! (both published by VIZ Media) and Nijigahara Holograph. GOODNIGHT PUNPUN will be published quarterly under the VIZ Signature imprint.

BLANC ET NOIR: TAKESHI OBATA ILLUSTRATIONS, by Takeshi Obata · Debuting Spring 2016

Takeshi Obata’s (DEATH NOTE, HIKARU NO GO, BAKUMAN, ALL YOU NEED IS KILL) long-awaited high-end art book will be released as a limited edition of 10,000 copies. This stunning book collects the bestselling artist’s work from 2001-2006 and includes illustrations from popular series such as DEATH NOTE and HIKARU NO GO (both published by VIZ Media). This gorgeous oversized art book is encased in a silver-stamped slipcase and stuffed with 132 pages of full-color artwork, several massive foldout posters, special papers and twelve pages of artist commentary including a “how to draw” section. It also includes three large double-sided laminated posters

THE HEIRESS AND THE CHAUFFEUR, by Keiko Ishihara · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · Debuting Spring 2016

At an all-girls school during the turn-of-the-century Taisho Era of Japan, rumors swirl that heiress Sayaka Yoshimura is having a forbidden love affair with her chauffeur, Shinobu Narutaki! Sayaka scoffs at the rumors, but could a romance between master and servant actually be brewing? At just two volumes, this sweet and thrilling story is a wonderful jumping-on point for the budding romance manga fan.

For more information on manga titles distributed and 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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