VIZ MEDIA’S HAIKASORU IMPRINT DELIVERS THE LATEST NOVEL IN THE VAMPIRE HUNTER D SAGA WITH THE RELEASE OF NOBLE V: GREYLANCER

VIZ MEDIA’S HAIKASORU IMPRINT DELIVERS THE LATEST NOVEL IN THE VAMPIRE HUNTER D SAGA WITH THE RELEASE OF NOBLE V: GREYLANCER

Witness The Beginning of The Three Thousand Year War Of Vampire Hunter D In This Exciting Novel By Famed Horror/Sci-fi Author Hideyuki Kikuchi

San Francisco, CA, May 22, 2013 – VIZ Media’s Haikasoru literary imprint delivers a bloodthirsty new chapter of the legendary Vampire Hunter D saga with the North American release of NOBLE V: GREYLANCER, now available in stores. The new fantasy novel by Hideyuki Kikuchi, carries an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN. The release also includes a bonus novelette titled, "An Irreplaceable Existence.” An eBook edition is also available for the Amazon Kindle, Apple’s iBooks Store, and the Barnes & Noble’s Nook Books Store.

Haikasoru publishes some of the most compelling contemporary Japanese science fiction and fantasy stories for English-speaking audiences, and is the first imprint based in the U.S. dedicated to Japanese science fiction and fantasy in translation.

Internationally acclaimed writer, Hideyuki Kikuchi, author and creator of the famed novel series, Vampire Hunter D, delves into the past with his latest addition, NOBLE V: GREYLANCER, It is the year 7000 by Noble reckoning, and the vampire rulers of the world have grown complacent. When the Outer Space Beings (OSBs) invade, the Noble warrior Greylancer must pit his skills and magic against the technology of the OSBs, quash an anti-Noble rebellion, and, when he is critically injured, turn to mere humans for help. The Three Thousand Year War of Vampire Hunter D begins here!

“Hideyuki Kikuchi is one of Japan's top horror and science fiction authors in the proud tradition of Robert Bloch, Fritz Leiber, H.P. Lovecraft, and Stephen King. His Vampire Hunter D setting has been attracting fans in the U.S. for more than twenty years,” says Nick Mamatas, Haikasoru’s editor. “NOBLE V: GREYLANCER reveals the mysterious history of the Nobility and follows the exploits of the powerful Noble warrior Greylancer as pushes his own immortality to the limit. Kikuchi is an ardent fan of many classic horror tropes, and his new novel exquisitely combines the danger and violence of traditional literary vampires with the nobility and dark attraction of modern vampire iconography.”

Hideyuki Kikuchi was born in 1949 in Chiba, Japan and, inspired by the work of writers such as H. P. Lovecraft, began writing supernatural fiction in the early 1980s. His first novel, Demon City Shinjuku, debuted in 1982. Horror films, most notably 1958’s The Horror of Dracula, had a tremendous impact on Kikuchi and inspired him to create the legendary Vampire Hunter D series, which has spawned more than 17 novels and a host of novellas and related short stories. One of the world’s most prolific authors, Kikuchi has published over three hundred books and still produces multiple novels per year. He has enjoyed tremendous international success as a novelist and much of his work has been also been adapted into manga and anime, including Vampire Hunter D. Wicked City, A Wind Named Amnesia, and Dark Wars: The Tale of Meiji Dracula.

For more information on NOBLE V: GREYLANCER and the Haikasoru imprint, please visit the dedicated website at www.haikasoru.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 INUYASHA, 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.

VIZ MEDIA DEBUTS SUNNY, A NEW MASTERWORK FROM ACCLAIMED MANGA CREATOR TAIYO MATSUMOTO

VIZ MEDIA DEBUTS SUNNY, A NEW MASTERWORK FROM ACCLAIMED MANGA CREATOR

TAIYO MATSUMOTO

Eisner Award-Winning Creator Offers A Poignant Story Of Beating The Odds In Ways That Count

San Francisco, CA, May 8, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, debuts a touching new work by award winning manga creator, Taiyo Matsumoto, with the release of SUNNY Volume 1 on May 21st. The new hardcover release will be published under the VIZ Signature imprint, is rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $22.99 U.S. / $26.99 CAN. SUNNY will also be available on the same day digitally for $9.99 U.S. / CAN from the VIZ Manga App and at VIZManga.com.

Translated by noted visual effects artist and Tekkonkinkreet film producer Michael Arias (The Abyss, Princess Mononoke, The Animatrix), SUNNY is the story of beating the odds, in the ways that count. It’s the brand-new masterwork from Eisner Award-winner Taiyo Matsumoto, one of Japan’s most innovative and acclaimed manga artists.

“Taiyo Matsumoto delivers an emotional, and at times bittersweet, story about a diverse group of kids that live at a Japanese orphanage,” says Leyla Aker, Vice President, Publishing. “They find solace in Sunny, a dilapidated old Nissan car that sits abandoned in the garden of the orphanage. It’s off-limits to adults but becomes something of a clubhouse for the kids and a way for them to escape their everyday lives. It’s been said that Matsumoto’s genius is his ability to portray both the essential truths and fleeting moments of transcendence in life.  His latest work, SUNNY, reaffirms his status as one of the world’s greatest manga creators.”

Taiyo Matsumoto has won extensive international critical acclaim for his rough and often-unflinching depictions of disaffected youth drawn in an unconventional and surrealist art style he developed after a visit to France and exposure to artists like Moebius. His manga works, including GOGO MONSTER, BLUE SPRING and NO. 5 (all published by VIZ Media), offer a unique art style that reflects both Japanese and European influences. His TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE (also available from VIZ Media) won the 2008 Eisner Comic Industry Award for the Best U.S. Edition of International Material – Japan, and was also adapted into an anime feature film. Another of Matsumoto’s manga works, PING PONG, was made into an award-winning live action film.  

For more information on SUNNY or 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 INUYASHA, 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.

VIZ MEDIA BECOMES THE NORTH AMERICAN MASTER LICENSEE FOR THE SCI-FI ANIME SERIES ACCEL WORLD

VIZ MEDIA BECOMES THE NORTH AMERICAN MASTER LICENSEE FOR THE SCI-FI ANIME SERIES ACCEL WORLD

A Bullied Teen Finds New Powers & Strength In A Virtual Reality Video Game In Edgy New Series

San Francisco, CA, May 2, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, has announced that it has been named the North American master licensee for the sci-fi anime property, ACCEL WORLD (rated TV-14). ACCEL WORLD is currently available on the Neon Alley channel for PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360 (dubbed), as well as on the company’s own streaming site VIZAnime.com (subtitled).

ACCEL WORLD is based on the light novel created by Reki Kawahara, with adaptation by renowned animation studio Sunrise. VIZ Media will hold the North American licensed rights for Videogram, Television, and Online Distribution, as well as all merchandising licensing related to the property.

In ACCEL WORLD, the year is 2046. Haruyuki “Haru” Arita is a young boy who finds himself on the lowest social rung of his school. Ashamed of his miserable life, Haru can only cope by indulging in virtual games. But that all changes when Kuroyukihime, the most popular girl in school, introduces him to a mysterious program called Brain Burst and a virtual reality called the Accel World.

“Fan excitement for ACCEL WORLD has built since VIZ Media debuted the simulcast to North American last year, and we’re thrilled to become master licensor to cater to this growing demand,” says Daisuke Aoki, Vice President, Animation Licensing. “Becoming the master North American licensee for ACCEL WORLD will allow us to fully develop this property and bring a fun range of products with a variety of manufacturers to market.”

Neon Alley is VIZ Media’s 24-hour, subscription-based anime channel featuring the world’s best titles (dubbed in English and uncut) and presented in HD (when available) for a low monthly subscription rate of only $6.99. Neon Alley is available for the PlayStation®Network and the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) system as well as Xbox LIVE and the Xbox 360.