Viz to Offer Unique New Manga and Fiction Titles at 2007 BookExpo America

New York, NY June 1, 2007 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, brings a variety of notable new manga and fiction releases to its presence at the 2007 BookExpo America (BEA) show, taking place May 31-June 3, 2007 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. BEA is the preeminent yearly trade event for publishers and booksellers in North America. VIZ Media will be located in booth 3833.

Manga remains the fastest growing segment of the domestic publishing industry and VIZ Media will showcase a variety of unique new titles offered under its popular SHONEN JUMP™, SHOJO BEAT™, VIZ Signature and VIZ Fiction imprints. Also to be highlighted will be the recent launch of NARUTO NATION™, a broad campaign that will bring an unprecedented increase in the frequency of publication of VIZ Media's wildly popular NARUTO™ manga series and other Q4 NARUTO product releases. In order to catch up to the present Japanese release schedule and to prepare readers for upcoming notable changes in the main character and story arc, VIZ Media will begin offering three new volumes of NARUTO per month from September through December 2007 – a first for any U.S. manga publisher.

Beth Kawasaki, Editorial Director of VIZ Media, will also be featured in "Graphic Novels Buzz: Editors Share Highlights of Forthcoming Titles," an industry roundtable scheduled for Friday June 1, 2:30-3:30pm.

"BookExpo America is a focal point for VIZ Media because it attracts so many luminaries and key decision makers from the publishing and retail arenas," says Liza Coppola, Sr. Vice President, Marketing, VIZ Media. "Manga continues to be an area of tremendous growth and opportunity and we are committed to offering the highest quality, most diverse and critically acclaimed titles to a growing fan base hungry for compelling content. We see a bright future for this genre and look forward to offering a variety of unique new manga and fiction titles designed for readers of all ages and interests at this year's show."

Some of the titles to be highlighted at this years show include:

SHONEN JUMP™ Imprint:

NARUTO™
NARUTO depicts the adventures of a young boy named Uzumaki Naruto who trains to become a ninja. Naruto, cursed with the spirit of the nine-tailed fox demon sealed within his body, is forced to live a bullied life discriminated against by his fellow villagers. But Naruto is resilient and undaunted, and his determination often inspires those around him. Through many adventures, the young ninja learns the importance of friendship, teamwork, loyalty, hard work, creativity, ingenuity, and right vs. wrong.

BLEACH™
BLEACH is the story of an average 15-year old, Ichigo Kurosaki, who never asked for the ability to see ghosts, but 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 find peace. But action usually ensues as Ichigo and his sidekick Ruika must battle those who don't always want to go to the netherworld.

DEATH NOTE™
DEATH NOTE follows the adventures of Light Yagami, an ace student with great prospects but who is bored out of his mind. All of that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to investigate, and he is soon hot on the trail of Light, who must now reevaluate his one noble goal.

D GRAY MAN
Set in a fictional 19th century England, D.GRAY-MAN is a gothic manga story of Allen Walker, a 15-year-old boy who roams the Earth in search of Innocence. Washed away to unknown parts of the world after The Great Flood, Innocence is the mysterious substance used to create weapons that obliterate demons known as akuma. Allen is a member of a special group called the Dark Order sworn to defeat the akuma, who are in fact, minions of the evil Millennium Earl who wants to take over the world.

BUSO RENKIN
BUSO RENKIN is the story of teenager Kazuki Muto, who dies trying to save a girl who was being attacked by an eerie monster. The next morning, however, Kazuki is left wondering whether it was all a dream. Lo and behold, the girl, the monster, and his death are all real! The girl, Tokiko Tsumura, was actually trying to slay the homunculus (a beast that can take the form of humans, but whose main source of food is people), but Kazuki got in her way. To revive Kazuki, Tokiko replaces his heart with a "kakugane," an alchemic device that allows him to summon a lance with which to fight the monsters. It turns out that Tokiko is a member of Renkin Kenshi (Alchemist Soldiers), an organization sworn to protect the world from the diabolical creatures. Soon, Kazuki joins Tokiko in her quest to terminate the sinister being that creates and controls the homunculus

O-PARTS HUNTER
In the not too distant future, mankind fights over relics from an ancient civilization called O-Parts, each of which contain incredible powers. Some people with special abilities are able to use the O-Parts to their full potential, and are known as O.P.T.s (or O-Parts Tacticians). Naturally, O-Parts can be used for both good and evil purposes. Ruby Crescent is an ordinary girl who, following in her father’s footsteps, dreams of becoming a treasure hunter and discovering elusive and valuable O-Parts. She soon meets a mysterious boy named Jio who has a tragic past and only trusts one thing in the world: money. Little does he suspect that he is actually a very powerful O.P.T. and inside him resides a demon of incredible power. Though Jio doesn't believe in friendship, he agrees to be Ruby's bodyguard and together they embark on a dangerous quest to discover the secrets of the O-Parts.

SIGNATURE Imprint

NAOKI URASAWA'S MONSTER
NAOKI URASAWA'S MONSTER weaves the riveting story of brilliant Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a famous surgeon with a promising career at a leading hospital. Tenma risks his reputation and promising career to save the life of a critically wounded young boy. Unbeknownst to him, this child is destined for a terrible fate. A string of strange and mysterious murders begin to occur soon afterward, ones that professionally benefit Dr. Tenma, and he emerges as the primary suspect. Conspiracies, serial murders, and a scathing depiction of the underbelly of hospital politics are all masterfully woven together in this compelling manga thriller.

THE DRIFTING CLASSROOM
Out of nowhere, a Japanese elementary school is transported out of the world they know, and into a nightmarish wasteland. Have they gone to another planet, or is this toxic world actually a vision of Earth's future? Soon, the students and teachers must struggle to survive in impossible conditions, besieged by terrifying creatures and beset by madness. Part Lord of the Flies, part post-apocalyptic science fiction, THE DRIFTING CLASSROOM (1972-1974) is a classic can't-put-down manga series. It was also adapted into a Japanese live-action movie (1987).

GYO
Something is rotten in Okinawa as the floating stench of death hangs over the island. What is it? A strange, legged fish appears on the scene and so begins Tadashi and Kaori's spiral into the horror (and stench) of the sea. Here is the long-awaited new horror manga series from the Eisner-nominated creator of UZUMAKI, Junji Ito.

UZUMAKI
Kurôzu-cho, a small fogbound town on the coast of Japan, is cursed. According to Shuichi Saito, the withdrawn boyfriend of teenager Kirie Goshima, their town is haunted not by a person or being but by a pattern: uzumaki, the spiral, the hypnotic secret shape of the world. It manifests itself in small ways: seashells, ferns, whirlpools in water, and whirlwinds in air. And in large ways: the spiral marks on people's bodies, the insane obsessions of Shuichi's father, the voice from the cochlea in your inner ear. As the madness spreads, the inhabitants of Kurôzu-cho are pulled ever deeper, as if into a whirlpool from which there is no return.

TEKKON KINKREET: BLACK & WHITE
Orphaned on the mean streets of Treasure Town, lost boys Black and White must mug, steal and fight to survive. Around them is a world of corruption and loneliness, small-time crooks and neurotic police officers, and a band of sadistic yakuza that have plans for their once-fair city. Can these boys rise above their environment? Surreal manga influenced by European comics.

VIZ MEDIA™ Imprint:

FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST™
The mystic blend of art, magic and science that is alchemy is the basis for FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical "auto-mail" limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his brother and himself – the legendary Philosopher's Stone.

INUYASHA™
Kagome is a modern Japanese high school girl. Never the type to believe in myths and legends, her world view dramatically changes when, one day, she's pulled out of her own time and into another! There, in Japan's ancient past, Kagome discovers more than a few of those dusty old legends are true, and that her destiny is linked to one legendary creature in particular – the dog-like half-demon called Inuyasha! That same trick of fate also ties them both to the Shikon Jewel, or "Jewel of Four Souls." But demons beware because the smallest shard of the Shikon Jewel can give the user unimaginable power.

INUBAKA
A fun series that literally translates as Crazy For Dogs. All alone except for her loyal mutt Lupin, 18-year-old Suguri moves from the countryside to the big city to find a career and a new life. In her first job at a pet store, she meets an assortment of quirky dogs and even stranger owners! Adventures and even romance ensue as she discovers an assortment of unique canines and their quirky owners.

SHOJO BEAT Imprint:

VAMPIRE KNIGHT
Cross Adademy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorm, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy's dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires!

ABSOLUTE BOYFRIEND
Rejected too many times by good-looking (and unattainable) guys, shy Riiko Izawa goes online one day and signs up for a free trial of a mysterious Nightly Lover "figure." The very next day, a cute naked guy is delivered to her door, and he wants to be her boyfriend! Has Riiko died and gone to heaven? The cute guy turns out to be sweet, smart, a great cook, and lots more, but he has a secret. And he looks like a million bucks, which is what he's going to cost Riiko if she doesn't return him in time...

BACKSTAGE PRINCE
Drawn into the exciting world of kabuki theatre, young Akari spends her time after school assisting the famous actor Shonosuke Ichimura. In the real world, however, this prince of kabuki is actually a high school cutie by the name of Ryusei Horiuchi. A fun and exciting romance set in the lavish world of Japanese theater.

MILLENNIUM SNOW
Seventeen-year-old Chiyuki Matsuoka was born with heart problems, and her doctors say she won't live to see the next snow. Touya is an 18-year-old vampire who hates blood and refuses to make the traditional partnership with a human, whose life-giving blood would keep them both alive for a thousand years. But the two are destined to meet and romance and drama will result!

VIZ Fiction Imprint:

BRAVE STORY
A young boy named Wataru enters a fantasy world in hopes of saving his parent's marriage. With a determined plan to reunite his mother and father, the 10-year-old boy knowingly enters a fantasy realm inhabited by a goddess who has the power to change destiny. With the help of the Lizard Boy, the Cat Girl, and the Fire-breathing Dragon, Wataru faces a series of seemingly insurmountable obstacles on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. One way or another, the young hero must reach the Tower of Destiny and bring his mother and father back together again.

DRAGON SWORD AND WIND CHILD
The forces of the God of Light and the Goddess of Darkness have waged a ruthless war across the land of Toyoashihara for generations. But for 15-year-old Saya, the war is far away and unimportant – until the day she discovers that she is the reincarnation of the Water Maiden and a princess of the Children of the Dark.

Raised to love the Light and detest the Dark, Saya must come to terms with her heritage even as she is tumbled into the very heart of the conflict that is destroying her country. The armies of the Light and Dark both seek to claim her, for she is the only mortal who can awaken the legendary Dragon Sword, the fearsome weapon destined to bring an end to the war. Can Saya make the dreadful choice between the Light and Dark, or is she doomed like all the other Water Maidens who came before her?

PICTURE LETTERS FROM THE COMMANDER IN THE CHIEF
An emotional and riveting collection of drawings, diary entries and private correspondence by Gen. Tadamichi Kuribayashi, commander of the doomed Japanese garrison that fought the US invasion of Iwo Jima in World War 2. Inspired by the stirring Letters From Iwo Jima film, directed by Clint Eastwood, this collection spans the career of Kuribayashi, who spent time in the US prior to the war, and offers dramatic, sometimes funny, often wrenching accounts leading up to and after the monumental battle.

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 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 Production Co., Ltd. (ShoPro Japan), VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America and a global licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including, magazines such as SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, videos, DVDs, audio soundtracks and develops and markets animated entertainment from initial production, television placement and distribution, to merchandise licensing and promotions for audiences and consumers of all ages.