ACF 1604: SAMURAI SPIRIT: THE STORY OF ROME KANDA

NEW DIGITAL MANGA BIOGRAPHY 

OF FAMED JAPANESE COMEDIAN/ACTOR ROME KANDA 
LAUNCHED AT J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL 2012

The Amazing Life Story Of The Host Of

“MAJIDE!? I SURVIVED A JAPANESE GAME SHOW”

Debuts As A New Manga App For iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch And Android Devices

FreeHand Inc. (http://www.f-hand.co.jp/), a leading Tokyo-based comic/manga production company that specializes in comics planning, production and advertising, has released Samurai Spirit: The Story of Rome Kanda, a new biographical digital manga series about the life of Japanese actor/comedian Rome Kanda. The digital bio launched and the comedian appeared at the 4th annual J-POP Summit Festival in San Francisco this past weekend.

Samurai Spirit: The Story of Rome Kanda is available NOW for Android-enabled devices (Download here.) The first chapter will be available for free download and the following chapters are available for only $1.25 each. Additional chapters will debut in coming weeks. An iTunes version will also debut imminently.

“I’m very honored by the U.S. release of my new digital manga biography, Samurai Spirit,” says Rome Kanda. “The digital manga format is a compelling way to tell my life story and experiences working in both the U.S. and Japanese entertainment industries on hit international shows like MAJIDE!?: I Survived a Japanese Game Show and Unbeatable Banzuke. I hope readers will enjoy my insights and have some laughs at the many funny experiences I’ve had.”

Rome Kanda started in show business as an actor and went on to appear in numerous films and T.V. shows in Japan before eventually moving to the United States. He gained further notoriety after he began doing comedy routines at venues like LA’s iconic Comedy Store. Kanda was later cast as the MC for the reality series, I Survived a Japanese Game Show, which ran in the United States in 2008 on ABC and followed a group of American contestants as they tried their luck on a quirky Japanese TV game show. The show ran for two seasons and was awarded The Rose d’Or (Golden Rose) at The Global Entertainment Television Festival, which is one of the most important international events for entertainment television. (Dr. G comments: "I watched I Survived a Japanese Game Show and loved it! It was very funny and quite entertaining. Wish it would've continued.")

Kanda was also known as the manic host of the hit G4 television series, Unbeatable Banzuke, and he has appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Saturday Night Live and was featured in films including Takeshi Kitano’s Sonatine and The Informant, which was directed by Steven Soderbergh and starred Matt Damon.

Kanda’s amazing life experiences are depicted in Samurai Spirit: The Story of Rome Kanda. The series features artwork by Sho Wakasa and is produced by Ryo Kurashina, who is well-known in the Japanese manga industry for bestselling series such as Jo-Tei (Empress), Ya-Oh (King of Night) and Jo-Oh (Queen of Queens).

About FreeHand, Inc.:
Based in Tokyo, Japan, FreeHand Inc. (http://www.f-hand.co.jp/) is one of the leading comic/manga production companies that specializes in comics planning, production and advertisement. The company is owned by Ryo Kurashina, a creator and producer of bestselling manga series such as Jo-Tei (Empress), Ya-Oh (King of Night) and Jo-Oh (Queen of Queens). Samurai Spirit: The Story of Rome Kanda is FreeHand’s first manga title to be released in English for the worldwide market.

About J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL:

The J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL is an annual Japanese Pop Culture celebration that features live bands and artists from Japan, pop culture panel discussions, film premieres, fashion and DJ dance events, and celebrity appearances. The Festival is hosted by NEW PEOPLE in cooperation with the Japantown Merchants Association. In 2011, the two-day event attracted 55,000 attendees. More information about the J-Pop Summit Festival is available at J-Pop.com.