Viz Media Delivers Sci-fi, Romance, Ninja, Dinosaurs And Heavy Metal In The Second Quarter Of 2009

Ten New Manga Series – Something For Everyone

San Francisco, CA, April 27, 2009 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced ten new manga series set to debut throughout the Second Quarter of 2009.

Science fiction, fantasy action/adventure, romance, feudal Japan, dinosaurs and even rock and roll provide an array of story backdrops and themes for an exciting Q2 filled with new manga series. Mature readers will be riveted to the page with the new gritty action series DOGS, while IKIGAMI: THE ULTIMATE LIMIT offers an alternate take on the future of crime deterrence and DETROIT METAL CITY screams tongue-in-cheek heavy metal fun. GESTALT takes readers on an amazing fantasy quest, while shojo fans will delight in the romantic debuts of HONEY HUNT, RASETSU, and a special Tail of the Moon Prequel: The Other Hanzo(u). Younger manga readers also have plenty of new titles to enjoy with the debuts of DINOSAUR HOUR and LEAVE IT TO PET! by the popular VIZKIDS imprint, as well as a special second edition of PokÉmon Adventures.

New VIZ Media Manga Titiles for Q2 Include:

DOGS PRELUDE, Volume 0 -- Rated 'M' for Mature Audiences -- MSRP: $12.99 US / $15.00 CAN -- Available Now!
Boasting furious action, switchback plotting, magnetic characters and dazzling art, DOGS is a series created by Shirow Miwa that tells the story of four individuals struggling to survive a bleak dystopian urban future with a mix of gun, sword, courage and luck.

Heine, the “Stray Dog,” is a cipher of a young man with a mysterious metal collar bolted to his neck and a disturbing talent for mayhem. Badou is a hired gun for petty jobs, both legal and not, whose reckless facade hides a serious intent. Naoto, a preternaturally skilled swordswoman, is searching for the assassin who cut down her family and mentor. And Mihai, a middle-aged former hit man, has been trying to live a quiet life but is continually haunted by the deaths of his lover and protégé. Driven by their ghosts, both dead and alive, and a desire for truth, all of them are inexorably drawn to the “Underground,” the dark and dangerous sector below the city that holds all the secrets--ones that can only be had for a price. DOGS, originally published in Ultra Jump magazine in Japan, weaves a dramatic tale of an alternate future reminiscent of great thrillers like Blade Runner and Battle Royale.

IKIGAMI: THE ULTIMATE LIMIT, Vol. 1 -- Rated 'M' for Mature Audiences -- MSRP: $12.99 US / $15.00 CAN -- Available May 12
Congratulations! You have been randomly selected by the government…to DIE in 24 hours! Please enjoy your final day and take pride in the fact that your death will inspire others to live life to the fullest!

Welcome to the world of Ikigami, the Death Notice, where to keep citizens on the straight and narrow path of productivity and prosperity, citizens are randomly selected by the government for termination!

IKIGAMI was created by Motoro Mase and originally debuted in Young Sunday. The manga presents a wicked slant on crime deterrence as readers see the last 24 hours through the eyes of the very people slated to die for their country with no hope of reprieve. What happens when people have no hope of survival will shock readers to the core in this new frighteningly dark series! IKIGAMI has sold more than a million copies and recently debuted in Japan as a live-action film. An acclaimed artist and manga creator, Mase was also nominated for Shogakukan's 43rd Grand Prize for best comic by a new artist.

DETROIT METAL CITY, Vol. 1 -- Rated 'M' for Mature Audiences -- MSRP: $12.99 US / $15.00 CAN -- Available June 9
Prepare to have your mortal soul devoured by the demonic Johannes Krauser II, front man for Detroit Metal City, the most outrageous death metal band on the Japanese indie rock scene! Soichi Negishi dreamed of moving to Tokyo and starting a bubblegum pop band, but now he's fronting the most scandalous and demented metal band in Japanese rock! Deep down, Soichi still dreams of acoustic guitars and trips to Paris, but when the makeup comes on and he transforms into his alter ego, Krauser II, not even the denizens of hell are safe from his soul-devouring death metal sound. Can Soichi reconcile his sensitive inner yearnings with his wild on-stage persona – the vilest hard rocker in Japanese (and possibly world) history?

DETROIT METAL CITY takes the zany rock antics inspired by films like Spinal Tap to hilarious new extremes in this witty series created by Kiminori Wakasugi. A live action version of the film was recently released in Japan featuring cameos by Gene Simmons (KISS) and Marty Friedman (Megadeth). The DETROIT METAL CITY animated counterpart has also gained a major following across North America and the debut of the manga promises to be the most outrageous, profane, and funny rock and roll adventure ever!

GESTALT, Vol. 1 -- Rated 'T+' for Older Teens -- MSRP: $8.99 US / $10.50 CAN -- Available June 16
In the legendary past the gods battled for supremacy and cast out a demon whose name cannot be spoken. Banished to earth, the demon found refuge on the mysterious and dangerous island known only as “G.” After experiencing a crisis of faith, Father Olivier of the Valaria Order decides to go there and find out the truth behind the legends. But Olivier's journey is unsanctioned and the head of the Order engages the dark elf Suzu to stop him at any cost. As he begins his quest, Olivier encounters Ouri, a young girl from the south who cannot speak. When Suzu catches up to them, Ouri reveals herself as a powerful sorceress and quickly disposes of Suzu, at least for the moment. The pair continues their journey south, dodging the agents of Olivier's order, the considerable native dangers of the island of G, and Ouri's secret past.

GESTALT was created by Yun Kouga, one of the biggest names in manga, and incorporates many visual facets from computer and tabletop role-playing games to give the series a video game-like ambiance.

New SHOJO BEAT Manga Include:

HONEY HUNT, Vol. 1 -- Rated 'T+' for Older Teens -- MSRP: $8.99 US / $10.50 CAN -- Available Now!
Life's not easy when you're living in the shadow of your famous parents. Can shy Yura, the daughter of an award-winning composer and a world-renowned actress, find the courage to step out on her own when her super-celebrity parents get divorced? Already accustomed to the daily pressures of being the child of celebrities, Yura's frustration explodes in a rant against her parents – and to make things worse her emotional tirade is broadcast live on national TV! But when a powerful talent scout hears her impassioned declaration, he actually offers to represent her. The doors to showbiz are suddenly flung open for this timid wallflower. Will Yura step from out from the shadows to assume her place in the spotlight? Find out in this fascinating look at the crazy side of Japanese show business.

HONEY HUNT was created by Miki Aihara, one of the most popular shojo manga artists in Japan. Her popular series HOT GIMMICK and TOKYO BOYS AND GIRLS (both published domestically by VIZ Media) have gained her a significant following in North America.

RASETSU, Vol. 1 -- Rated 'T+' for Older Teens -- MSRP: $8.99 US / $10.50 CAN -- Available June 2
A fantastic supernatural spin-off to the hit shojo manga series YURARA (also published by VIZ Media), RASETSU is about a girl named Rasetsu Hyuga who works for an exorcist agency where she uses her special powers to banish evil spirits. But there's a story behind the mysterious red flower mark on her chest. It's a memento left by a powerful spirit that vowed to claim her on her 20th birthday. Unless Rasetsu can find true love by then, she's fated to become his. Yako Hoshino, a young man with spiritual powers and a past of his own, comes to the agency one day seeking help with a possessed book. He's seen a lot of strange phenomena in his day, but the last thing he expects to see is Rasetsu bearing a striking resemblance to his old love Yurara! Fans of Chika Shiomi's popular shojo series YURARA won't want to miss this exciting debut.

TAIL OF THE MOON PREQUEL: THE OTHER HANZO(U) -- Rated 'T+' for Older Teens -- MSRP: $8.99 US / $10.50 CAN -- Available June 2
This is the one-shot prequel to the critically acclaimed romantic melodrama TAIL OF THE MOON and also serves as an addition to the popular shojo series created by Rinko Ueda. Set in feudal Japan, a young woman is found with a huge scar on her back and has no memory of who she is. She's given the name "Kaguya" and taken in by a local brothel where she's put in charge of babysitting and housekeeping duties. Hanzou Hattori, the head guard of the nearby castle, starts to pursue her romantically. He eventually realizes that they've met before in the past...under very surprising circumstances! Later, a case of mistaken identity leads Kaguya to the village of Iga where she meets the high-ranking ninja leader Hanzo Hattori. Things get complicated when she figures out she's gotten her Hanzo(u)s mixed up!

New VIZKIDS Manga Include:

DINOSAUR HOUR!, Vol. 1 -- Rated 'A' for All Ages -- MSRP: $7.99 US / $9.50 CAN -- Available April 7
Journey back in time to an age when dinosaurs ruled the earth, fierce – and funny! In this world, dinosaurs are just regular dudes who may try to eat each other, but still have social foibles like the rest of us. With some of their antics, its no wonder dinosaurs went extinct. In each installment, DINOSAUR HOUR! introduces younger readers to exciting dinosaur species through fun and easy-to-read educational factoids mixed with wacky humor. Kids will also delight in dinosaur puppet cut-outs in the back of the book that readers can use to create fun dino-ramas. Educational and captivatingly illustrated, the humorous vignettes in DINOUSAUR HOUR! create the universal appeal of these creatures to make a captivating choice for even the most reluctant young reader.

LEAVE IT TO PET!, Vol. 1 -- Rated 'A' for All Ages -- MSRP: $7.99 US / $9.50 CAN -- Available May 5
One day, nine-year-old Noboru does the responsible thing and recycles a plastic water bottle, but little does he know that the bottle will come back to him as PET, a robot with a mission to pay Noboru back for recycling him! The only problem is that PET's sense of "helping" isn't quite in touch with reality. LEAVE IT TO PET! combines the visual appeal of manga with episodic comedy, adorable characters, and a few gentle lessons about protecting the environment. The manga also features color pages and related activities and cut-outs, giving it strong all-ages appeal. This series an excellent candidate for book clubs and fairs, schools and libraries.

Pokémon Adventures, Vol. 1 (2nd Edition) -- Rated 'A' for All Ages -- MSRP: $7.99 US / $9.50 CAN -- Available June 2
Go back to where the adventures of Ash and Pikachu all began in this new edition of the very first POKÉMON saga!

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 magazines such as SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, and DVDs, and develops, markets, licenses, and distributes animated entertainment for audiences and consumers of all ages.