VIZ MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS A SCORE OF MANGA RELEASES THAT MAKE IDEAL GIFTS FOR FANS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

VIZ MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS A SCORE OF MANGA RELEASES THAT MAKE IDEAL GIFTS FOR FANS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

2013 Holiday Wish List Includes New Manga Box Sets, Shojo And Shonen Manga Series, Deluxe Omnibus Editions,

And Other Exciting Gifts

San Francisco, CA, November 6, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, highlights a wide selection of novels, manga, and special box sets perfect as gifts for a range of budgets and guaranteed to delight readers of all ages and interests this holiday season.

Holiday selections for 2013 include a hefty new ONE PIECE Box Set: East Blue and Baroque Works and a BAKUMAN Complete Series Box Set, as well as a delightful novel and picture book commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the classic anime film MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO.

New shojo manga series that also make perfect gifts include the Christmas-themed SWEET REIN and the voice-acting romantic drama VOICE OVER!: SEIYU ACADEMY. Action fans also won’t want to miss the TIGER & BUNNY COMIC ANTHOLOGY and the 2-volume TIGER & BUNNY: THE BEGINNING manga adaptation of the hit anime superhero feature film. Horror fans should add the hardcover UZUMAKI 3-IN-1 DELUXE EDITION to their wish lists, while science fiction readers can savor the award-winning anthology THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE and the acclaimed novel SELF-REFERENCE ENGINE from the Haikasoru imprint.

NEW MANGA BOX SETS:

ONE PIECE Box Set: EAST BLUE & BAROQUE WORKS  Rated “T” for Teens  MSRP: $185.99 U.S. / $185.99 CAN  Available Now! 

This box set includes volumes 1-23, which comprise the series’ first two story arcs, East Blue and Baroque Works. With exclusive premiums and great savings over buying the individual volumes, this set is a pirate’s treasure for any manga fan! As a child, Monkey D. Luffy dreamed of becoming King of the Pirates. But his life changed when he accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Fruit, an enchanted Devil Fruit that gave him the ability to stretch like rubber. The only drawback? He'll never be able to swim again – a serious handicap for an aspiring sea dog! Years later, Luffy sets off on his quest to find the "One Piece," said to be the greatest treasure in the world... Box set also includes a full-color, two-sided poster and booklet featuring an interview with ONE PIECE creator Eiichiro Oda, and Romance Dawn, the original ONE PIECE pilot chapter.

BAKUMAN COmplete series Box Set  Rated “T” for Teens 

MSRP: $159.99 U.S. / $159.99 CAN  Available Now! 

By the creators of DEATH NOTE! The mystery behind manga-making is revealed! Average student Moritaka Mashiro enjoys drawing for fun. When his classmate and aspiring writer Akito Takagi discovers his talent, he begs Moritaka to team up with him as a manga-creating duo. But what exactly does it take to make it in the manga-publishing world? Set also includes the bonus mini-comic "OTTER NO. 11" along with a full-color, two sided poster. A 20% savings over buying the individual volumes!

FOR THE YOUNG & YOUNG-AT-HEART:

MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO: THE NOVEL  MSRP: $17.99 U.S. / $21.00 CAN  Available Now! 

The beloved animation classic by legendary Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki, My Neighbor Totoro, is now a novel. This edition features original illustrations by Miyazaki himself, accompanying a story by veteran children’s author Tsugiko Kubo. Eleven-year-old Satsuki and her sassy little sister Mei have moved to the country to be closer to their ailing mother. Soon, in the woods behind their spooky old house, Satsuki and Mei discover a forest spirit named Totoro. When Mei goes missing, it’s up to Satsuki to find her sister, and she’ll need help from some new, magical, friends.

MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO PICTURE BOOK  MSRP: $19.99 U.S. / $22.99 CAN  Available Now! 

The full color companion book to the beloved classic anime film My Neighbor Totoro by legendary Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki. Featuring artwork taken directly from the movie, this updated edition will allow parents and children to relive Totoro's magical adventures with scene-by-scene illustrations and character dialogue.

New holiday shojo manga:

SWEET REIN, Vol. 1  Rated “T” for Teens  MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN  Available November 5th  

Sad at the thought of spending Christmas alone, Kurumi Sagara goes out for a walk. While she’s crossing the street, a boy bumps into her, and a rein suddenly appears that binds them together. The overjoyed boy tells her she’s his master and that she’s a Santa Claus. Kurumi dismisses him as a crazy person, but then he transforms into a reindeer?!

VOICE OVER!: SEIYU ACADEMY, Vol. 1  Rated “T” for Teens 

MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN  Available Now!  

Hime Kino’s dream is to one day become a voice actor like her hero Sakura Aoyama from the Lovely ♥ Blazers anime and being accepted to the prestigious Holly Academy’s voice actor department is the first step in the right direction! But Hime’s gruff voice has earned her the scorn of teachers and students alike. Hime will not let that stand unchallenged, however. She’ll show everyone that she is too a voice acting princess, whether they like it or not!!

POPULAR SHONEN ACTION MANGA:

TIGER & BUNNY: THE BEGINNING SIDE A & SIDE B  Rated “T” for Teens 

MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN each  Available Now!

In the city of Stern Bild, superpowered heroes known as NEXT fight crime while promoting their corporate sponsors for the hit show HERO TV. Veteran hero Wild Tiger has years of experience fighting crime, but when his ratings slip he’s forced to team up with Barnaby Brooks Jr., a rookie hero with an attitude. This 2-volume manga adaptation of the Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning animated film (also available from VIZ Media) introduces you to the exciting world and characters of Tiger & Bunny!

TIGER & BUNNY COMIC ANTHOLOGY 2-In-1, Vols. 1 & 2  Rated “T” for Teens  MSRP: $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN each  Volume 1 Available Now,  Volume 2 Available December 10th!  

The Heroes of Stern Bild City are larger than life when they appear on Hero TV, but when they take off their costumes, their lives are just like anyone else! Or are they?! Why would someone impersonate Barnaby to work at a host club? Dragon Kid is a Hero but still has to struggle with homework. What will happen when Barnaby meets Kotetsu’s family? And is it possible for Origami Cyclone to ride into battle on a kite, or is he just going to break his neck? Dozens of stories take you deep into the world of TUGER & BUNNY!

HAIKASORU SCIENCE-FICTION NOVELS:

THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE  MSRP: $14.99 U.S. / $17.99 CAN 

Available Now!

A web browser that threatens to conquer the world; the longest, loneliest railroad on Earth; a North Korean nuke hitting Tokyo; a hollow asteroid full of automated rice paddies, and a specialist in breaking up virtual marriages; and yes, giant robots. These thirteen stories from and about the Land of the Rising Sun run the gamut from fantasy to cyberpunk and will leave you knowing that the future is Japanese! Also features the Hugo Award-winning short story, "Mono No Aware," by Ken Liu.

SELF-REFERENCE ENGINE  MSRP: $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN 

Available Now!

This is not a novel. This is not a short story collection. This is Self-Reference ENGINE. Instructions for Use: Read chapters in order. Contemplate the dreams of twenty-two dead Freuds. Note your position in space/time at all times (and spaces). Keep an eye out for a talking bobby sock named Bobby Socks. Beware the star-man Alpha Centauri. Remember that the chapter entitled “Japanese” is translated from the Japanese, but should be read in Japanese. Warning: if reading this book on the back of a catfish statue, the text may vanish at any moment, and you may forget that it ever existed. From the mind of Toh EnJoe comes Self-Reference ENGINE, a textual machine that combines the rigor of Stanislaw Lem with the imagination of Jorge Luis Borges. Do not operate heavy machinery for one hour after reading.

OTHER VIZ MEDIA RELEASES:

UZUMAKI 3-in-1 DELUXE EDITION  Rated “T+” for Older Teens 

MSRP: $27.99 U.S. / $32.00 CAN  Available Now! 

Savor a special new hardcover edition of Junji Ito’s acclaimed manga classic that now features 12 additional pages of full-color artwork. Kurouzu-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 everything from seashells and whirlpools in water to the spiral marks on people's bodies, the insane obsessions of Shuichi's father and the voice from the cochlea in our inner ear. As the madness spreads, the inhabitants of Kurouzu-cho are pulled ever deeper into a whirlpool from which there is no return!

For more information about these and other 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.