VIZ Media participating in ANIME CENTRAL 2015 CONVENTION which begins tomorrow, May 15th

KOBAYASHI GA KAWAISUGITE TSURAI!! © 2012 Go IKEYAMADA/SHOGAKUKAN

 VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES PARTICIPATION

AT ANIME CENTRAL 2015 CONVENTION

VIZ Media Returns To Mid-West’s Largest Anime/Manga Convention

With Exclusive Products, Advance Copies Of Upcoming Titles,

Special Guest Appearances, Informative Panels And Much More

VIZ Media has announced its participation at the Anime Central 2015 convention with an exciting weekend full of unique booth giveaways and exclusive items for sale, informative panel discussions and special guest appearances, anime screenings, and other fun activities.

Anime Central 2015 (ACen) takes place May 15th to 17th in Rosemont, IL, at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare and the adjacent Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, located less than 30 minutes from downtown Chicago. ACen presents special Guests of Honor from the Japanese and U.S. sectors of the anime and manga industry, as well as gaming, cinema, and other Asian pop culture personalities. VIZ Media will be located in Booth #I-11. Complete details on Anime Central 2015 are available at: http://www.acen.org.

The SAILOR MOON R Event T-Shirt

The VIZ Media booth will offer fans a wide variety of retail products available for purchase throughout the convention. Special exclusive products include a NARUTO manga replica ($15.00) featuring the Uchiha Brothers in a pivotal and touching moment. Be among the first to get a SAILOR MOON R Event T-Shirt ($15.00) featuring an exclusive design in both unisex and ladies’ styles/sizes! Also pick up a special advance copy of Volume 1 of the forthcoming new shojo manga series, SO CUTE IT HURTS!! ($10.00; rated ‘T’ for Older Teens) ahead of its June 2nd street date. All purchases also offer the buyer a selection of 1 of 4 exclusive VIZ Media tote bags that make for a handy way to carry convention treasures.

Other VIZ Media products available at Anime Central 2015 include:

• SAILOR MOON Season 1, Set 1 Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack with special gift with purchase (while supplies last) ($65)
• SAILOR MOON Season 1, Set 2 Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack ($50)
• RANMA ½ Sets 1-5 Blu-ray Limited Edition Sets ($45 ea) • POKÉMON: INDIGO LEAGUE Complete DVD Set ($45) & POKÉMON: ADVENTURES IN THE ORANGE ISLANDS Complete DVD Set ($25)
• THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: A LINK TO THE PAST ($20) and THE LEGEND OF ZELDA Manga Box Set ($80)
• Anime Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack sets for BLOOD LAD ($55), COPPELION ($55), GARGANTIA ($55), K ($55); DEATH NOTE – DVD only ($40)
• Manga Box Sets for BLEACH ($175), DEATH NOTE ($115), NARUTO ($215), ONE PIECE ($186), OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB ($140), and VAMPIRE KNIGHT ($100)
• LOVE STAGE Vol. 1 Advance Copy ($13: street date 5/12)
• WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP annual membership, with exclusive Game Mat and Yu-Gi-Oh! Ultimaya Tzolkin promo card ($25); all ACen subscribers have an opportunity to enter a special sweepstakes, please stop by the VIZ Media booth for details

Fans can also stop by the VIZ Media booth to pre-order the upcoming SAILOR MOON R Season 2, Set 1 Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and will receive an exclusive gift with purchase commemorative coin while supplies last. Anime Central attendees that sign up at the VIZ Media booth for the company’s official newsletter will receive a free TOKYO GHOUL manga poster. Also catch a variety of free items including manga samplers, postcards and posters for popular VIZ Media anime and manga properties and more!

VIZ Media’s Anime Central 2015 Panels Include:

Friday May 15th
4:30PM
VIZ Media Industry Panel (Panel Room 1)
Join VIZ Media as we pull back the curtain on your favorite manga and anime. Be the first to hear about upcoming releases and throw questions at our staff!

6:00PM
VIZ Media Official SAILOR MOON Panel (Panel Room 1)
One year ago, VIZ Media announced at Anime Central the return of the legendary SAILOR MOON anime. Now, one year later, join members of the VIZ Media SAILOR MOON staff as they talk about the impact of this beloved anime series and celebrate the long-awaited return of Usagi and her friends! Don’t miss special appearances at the panel by the SAILOR MOON English cast including Stephanie Sheh (Usagi Tsukino / Sailor Moon), Sandy Fox (Chibiusa), Amanda C. Miller (Makoto Kino / Sailor Jupiter), Cherami Leigh (Minako Aino / Sailor Venus), and Cristina Vee (Rei Hino / Sailor Mars)

Saturday May 16th
9:00PM
VIZ Media Presents: The Classics Of Shonen Jump (GR Industry Panel Rooms)
Long before hits such as NARUTO and BLEACH came to be, SHONEN JUMP magazine brought us many classic manga series such as KNIGHTS OF THE ZODIAC, DRAGON BALL and RUROUNI KENSHIN. Think you know them all? Find out at this panel as VIZ Media goes through a list of legendary SHONEN JUMP classics and how you can get them!

Also don’t miss special convention screenings of a variety of acclaimed VIZ Media anime titles including SAILOR MOON, SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL, ZETMAN and GARGANTIA and more! Specific screening times and dates will be listed in the official Anime Central 2015 program guide.

For more information on award winning anime and manga titles from VIZ Media, visit www.VIZ.com.

Sentai Filmworks announces acquisition of MY LOVE STORY!!

Sentai Filmworks has announced its latest acquisition, MY love STORY!! as part of their Spring 2015 anime season acquisitions. From original creators Aruko and Kazune Kawahara, this romantic comedy series introduces the loveable Takeo Gouda, a giant guy with a giant heart who’s (love) life is about to take an incredible turn.

Morio Asaka will be directing the series, with Natsuko Takahashi providing series composition. S.E.N.S., having previously been involved in series Kimi ni Todoke and xxxHOLIC, will be handling music. Character designs will be handled by Kunihiko Hamada, and animation production will be done by MADHOUSE, broadcasted by Nippon TV in Japan.

MY love STORY!! is scheduled for an April 2015 release and will soon be available through select digital outlets with a home video release to follow.

Major Naruto news announced by VIZ

VIZ MEDIA PREVIEWS NEW NARUTO RELEASES

AHEAD OF CREATOR MASASHI KISHIMOTO’S

FIRST-EVER INTERNATIONAL APPEARANCE

Final Manga Volume Of Seminal Ninja Action Adventure Will

Coincide With Creator’s Special Appearance At 2015 New York

Comic Con; NARUTO Illustration Book, 3 New Novels And

Final Manga Series Box Set Edition Announced

Coming right after news of NARUTO manga (graphic novel) creator Masashi Kishimoto’s first international appearance outside of Japan, set to take place at the 2015 New York Comic-Con, VIZ Media has announced several forthcoming new NARUTO titles that longtime fans and readers will not want to miss.

VIZ Media and ReedPOP, the organizers of the New York Comic Con, will welcome Kishimoto sensei for a very special series of appearances at the massive pop culture convention that will take place October 8th-11th at the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan.

VIZ Media is the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America. The company is the master North American licensor for the incredibly influential ninja action property, publishing the bestselling NARUTO manga series as well as distributing the popular NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN anime series and related feature films.

The NARUTO manga series finale, volume 72, will be released in print and also digitally in October, and brings the long-running ninja action adventure to its thrilling conclusion. Following its release, VIZ Media also will offer fans UZUMAKI NARUTO: ILLUSTRATIONS, a new softcover art book set to be released in November showcasing the artwork and characters from the manga series’ concluding story arc.

November 2015 sees the debut of NARUTO: KAKASHI’S STORY, the first of three new NARUTO prose novels focusing on key characters from the series that will be complemented by original cover illustrations from Masashi Kishimoto. The other two novels include NARUTO: SHIKAMARU’S STORY, set for release in February 2016, and NARUTO: SAKURA’S STORY, which is scheduled for release in May 2016. VIZ Media will release the third and final NARUTO comprehensive manga box set in January 2016.

“Masashi Kishimoto and his seminal series forever changed the manga landscape, and NARUTO has become one of the world’s most successful entertainment properties, with millions of passionate international fans,” says Andy Nakatani, Editor in Chief, WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP. “We’re very proud to welcome him for his first ever professional appearance in North America at the 2015 New York Comic-Con, an event that will coincide with the eagerly anticipated release of the final volume of the manga series. And there’s plenty more NARUTO excitement in store with the brand new spin-off serial NARUTO: THE SEVENTH HOKAGE AND THE SCARLET SPRING, running currently in WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP, as well as an upcoming illustration book, three novels, and the third and final manga box set!”

NARUTO, Vol. 72 • Rated ‘T’ for Teens •
Print MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN; Digital MSRP: $6.99 • Available October 2015
The peace following Kaguya's defeat is short-lived as Sasuke tries to take total control. Can Naruto change his old friend's mind and bring true peace to the ninja world in the final volume of NARUTO?

UZUMAKI NARUTO: ILLUSTRATIONS •
Print MSRP: $19.99 U.S. / $22.99 CAN • Available November 2015
Experience Masashi Kishimoto's artwork in all of its colorful glory in this collection of images from the conclusion of the best-selling Naruto manga! Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi and all your favorite characters appear in nearly a hundred pages of gorgeous full-color images. The book also features commentary from creator Masashi Kishimoto, a beautiful double-sided poster and a sticker sheet!

NARUTO: KAKASHI’S STORY (Novel) • 
Print MSRP: $10.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN • Available November 2015
A year has passed since the Fourth Great Ninja War, and Kakashi’s appointment to Hokage looms. But first he heads to the Land of Waves for a dangerous mission rescuing hostages from a top-secret airship. There he confronts a ninja whose heart is frozen by tragedy. Having lost both his friend’s eye and his greatest abilities, can Kakashi really protect anyone? What is the true meaning of the will of fire gained in the distant heavens? Kakashi finds these answers and more as he opens the door to a new ninja era.

NARUTO MANGA BOX SET Vol. 3 •
PRINT MSRP: $185.99 U.S. / $214.99 CAN • Available January 2016
The third and final NARUTO Box Set contains the thrilling conclusion to one of the most popular manga series of all time. The set features volumes 49-72 at a substantial savings over buying them individually, along with exclusive premiums.

Author/artist Masashi Kishimoto was born in 1974 in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Like many of his peers, he was first inspired to become a manga artist in elementary school when he read Akira Toriyama’s DRAGON BALL series. After spending time at art school, Kishimoto won the Hop Step Award for new manga artists with his story, Karakuri. After considering various genres for his next project, he decided on a story steeped in traditional Japanese culture. His first version of NARUTO, drawn in 1997, was a one-shot story about fox spirits; his final version, which debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999, quickly became the most popular ninja manga in the world. The series also spawned multiple anime series, movies, novels, video games and more. Having concluded the series in late 2014, Masashi Kishimoto has kept himself busy this year with a new side story NARUTO: THE SEVENTH HOKAGE AND THE SCARLET SPRING and writing the latest NARUTO anime feature film, both of which will focus on the title character's son, Boruto.

Additional information on NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN is available at www.Naruto.com.

For more information on manga titles available from VIZ Media, visit www.VIZ.com.

Sentai Filmworks announces acquisition of TRIAGE X

Sentai Filmworks has announce its latest acquisition, TRIAGE X, as part of their Spring 2015 anime season acquisitions. Adapted from the original work of Shouji Sato, creator of the mega hit undead horror series High School of the Dead, this action packed anime introduces a group of mercenary assassins as they rid the world of the “cancers” plaguing society through a precision, emotionless battlefield practice known as triage.

Akio Takami and Takao Kato will be directing the series, with series composition duties going to Katsuhiko Takayama. Character designs will be provided by Akio Takami, and Art direction by Yoshio Tanioka. Music production will be handled by Shunichi Uemura, and animation production will be done by Xebec.

TRIAGE X is scheduled for an April 2015 release and will soon be available through select digital outlets with a home video release to follow.

New anime content for Neon Alley

VIZ MEDIA OPENS MAY WITH A BRAND NEW

ANIME CONTENT UPDATE FOR NEON ALLEY

Don’t Miss New SAILOR MOON And SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL

Episodes Along With The Latest NARUTO SHIPPUDEN Simulcasts

And Just-Added Episodes Of BLEACH, RANMA ½, And More!

VIZ Media begins the month of May with a brand new content update for its Neon Alley free anime streaming platform.

The action of SAILOR MOON S and SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL continues with exciting new episodes from both series throughout the month. Catch two newly subtitled SAILOR MOON episodes from Season 3 added every Monday throughout May, beginning today with Episode 102, “The Stolen Pure Heart: Usagi’s Crisis,” and Episode 103, “The Arrival of a Small Pretty Guardian.” The SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL simulcasts also continue with brand new subtitled episodes. Catch Act 21 “Complication – Nemesis” on May 2nd, followed by Act 22: “Hidden Agenda – Nemesis” on May 16th.

Other notable new additions include new dub episodes for BLEACH Season 22, NARUTO Season 3, THE PRINCE OF TENNIS and RANMA ½. Fans can also catch simulcasts of the latest NARUTO SHIPPUDEN installments (subtitled) straight from Japan. The latest May 2015 update is further highlighted by scores of new episodes from a variety of top-rated VIZ Media anime properties including: 

BLEACH
• Neon Alley adds English dubbed BLEACH Season 22 Episodes 304-316, available to stream now!
• Viewers can now enjoy a total of 316 English dubbed episodes, as well as the complete subtitled BLEACH anime series (366 episodes). 

NARUTO
• Neon Alley adds Season 3, dubbed Episodes 131-143, of the original NARUTO anime series, available to stream now.
• With the newest episode update, viewers can check out a total of 143 English dubbed episodes as well enjoy as the complete subtitled NARUTO anime (all 220 episodes) series! 

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN
• Ninja action continues throughout May with not-to-be-missed Neon Alley simulcasts of the latest English subtitled NARUTO SHIPPUDEN episodes. Catch Episode 410 on Thursday, May 7th. Simulcasts of the next three NARUTO SHIPPUDEN episodes will take place every subsequent Thursday for the remainder of the month.
• Also don’t miss premiere English dubbed episodes of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN every Saturday in May starting with Episode 292 on May 2nd.

THE PRINCE OF TENNIS
• Catch the exciting conclusion of the on- and off-the court action of the acclaimed tennis drama with the last 10 episodes of THE PRINCE OF TENNIS, available in English dubbed and subtitled formats!
• Fans can now watch the entire 50-episode series from the beginning!

RANMA ½
• Neon Alley viewers can catch the thrilling series finale to the classic RANMA ½ series with the premiere of the final installment – Episode 161 “Boy Meets Mom Part 2 Someday, Somehow…” – which is available to stream now!!
• Ranma Saotome never thought a martial arts training mission to China would turn out like this! An accidental dunk in a cursed spring changes boy Ranma into a young girl, every time he is splashed with cold water. Hot water reverses the effect - but only until next time!

Neon Alley is VIZ Media’s consolidated online destination for FREE streaming anime content in the U.S. with over 3,600 subtitled and English dubbed episodes and movies from more than 32 series! Neon Alley also reaches an expansive on-demand U.S.-based audience on Hulu, which enables viewers to watch shows anytime, anywhere across devices including Xbox One, PlayStation®4 (PS4™), Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, and mobile devices. A full list of Hulu -enabled devices can be found at http://www.hulu.com/plus/devices.

Additional information on Neon Alley is available at: www.NeonAlley.com and http://blog.neonalley.com.