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Author Archive for Lissa Pattillo

Viz Media Flies Shonen Jump’s Jaco To Print and Assassins to the Classroom

By Lissa Pattillo on Sunday, March 9, 2014

Expanding on Viz Media’s recent press release, the company announced a couple new additions to its Shonen Jump imprint, starting with a new license:

Assassination Classroom – Matsui Yuusei

Assassination Classroom sounds like a strange one indeed, but I’ve seen quite a bit of excitement over its announcement. The story is about a classroom of students who are trying to kill their new teacher. Catch number one though – he’s actually an alien with super strength, strange tendril arms and plans to destroy the world. Catch two – they all think he’s a great teacher! Viz Media describes it as “a humorous and action-packed story”.

The first volume of Assassination Classroom will be available in December 2014 for $12.99/CAN, $9.99/US, and will be rated for Older Teens. Pre-orders are currently available on Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.

Viz Media also announced the print edition of Akira Toriyama’s Jaco the Galactic Patrolman. This series originally ran in their digital Shonen Jump anthology. Not only was it a really fun series, and a reminder of just how artistically skilled Akira Toriyama is, but also had a chapter that served as a prequel read to Dragonball. Very neat!

The one-shot print edition is scheduled for January 2014 for $12.99/CAN, $9.99/US. Jaco the Galactic Patrolman can be pre-ordered now via Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.

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Categories: Licensing
Tags: Akira Toriyama, Assassination Classroom, Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, Shonen Jump, Viz Media

Viz Media Adds Master Keaton and Resident Evil to Signature Line

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, March 5, 2014

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Viz Media is on a roll with exciting PR. The publisher released another set of press releases yesterday with new licenses to announce, including these two titles for their Viz Signature imprint:

Master Keaton – Hokusei Katsushika/Takashi Nagasaki & Naoki Urasawa
Resident Evil – Naoki Serizawa

Master Keaton follows an archaeology professor with a keen skill at finding the truth, which he utilizes as a part-time insurance investigator. Keaton uses his years of education, military training and upbringing to solve the many mysteries that present themselves before him.

Suffice to say, many of us are thrilled to see a new Naoki Urasawa series coming out in English. Viz Media previously released several of his series – Monster, 20th Century Boys and Pluto – and they’re easily some of the best quality comics on my shelves. While Naoki Urasawa didn’t exclusively write Master Keaton, I’m eager for more of his great comic paneling and sense of story pacing.

Viz Media is releasing Master Keaton in “deluxe” editions that will be on sale for $22.99 CAN/ $19.99 US starting in December of this year. Each book will have 18 pages of full-colour content.

Resident Evil is a series from which its artist I’m not familiar with, but the franchise is certainly a stranger to few ears. This manga series is a prequel to Resident Evil 6, who’s lead character is the muscular, zombie-punching Chris Redfield. This five volume manga series explores where the global outbreak that left the world infected with the C-virus originated. Chris Redfield and his team are called to a high school in Singapore when things begin spiraling out of control for a Professor investigating a student’s sudden transformation.

The first volume of Resident Evil will be released in November for $14.99 CAN / $12.99 US.

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Categories: Licensing
Tags: Master Keaton, Naoki Serizawa, Naoki Urasawa, Resident Evil, Viz Media, Viz Signature

PR: Adventure Awaits With Viz Media’s Fall 2014 Manga Acquistions

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, March 5, 2014

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ADVENTURE AWAITS WITH VIZ MEDIA’S
FALL 2014 MANGA ACQUISITIONS FROM THE SHONEN JUMP AND VIZ SIGNATURE IMPRINTS

Upcoming Releases Include Debuts Of ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM, JACO THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN, RESIDENT EVIL And ONE PIECE BOX SET 2

San Francisco, CA, March 4, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, announces the acquisition of several thrilling new manga (graphic novel) titles that are scheduled for release beginning in Fall 2014 from the company’s popular Shonen Jump and VIZ Signature imprints.

Fans will want to catch the manga volumes collected in ONE PIECE BOX SET 2 in November, followed by the launch of the alien-in-the-homeroom action comedy ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM in December. Manga master Akira Toriyama, widely known for creating DRAGON BALL, will have the North American release of his newest work, JACO THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN, in January 2015. The VIZ Signature imprint will also thrill gaming and horror fans with the launch in November of a tie-in manga series taking place in the world of the smash hit RESIDENT EVIL video game.

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Akira Toriyama, Assassination Classroom, Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, One Piece, Resident Evil, Shonen Jump, Viz Media

PR: Viz Media Acquires Naoki Urasawa’s Thrilling Suspense Series Master Keaton

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, March 5, 2014

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VIZ MEDIA ACQUIRES NAOKI URASAWA’S THRILLING SUSPENSE SERIES MASTER KEATON

Manga Series About An Investigator With An Unorthodox Set Of Skills From The Award-Winning Creator Of MONSTER And 20th CENTURY BOYS Debuts In English In December

San Francisco, CA, March 4, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, has announced it has acquired the North American publishing rights for Naoki Urasawa’s post–Cold War suspense thriller, MASTER KEATON. The 12-volume manga (graphic novel) series has never before been available in English and is scheduled to launch in print in December under the VIZ Signature imprint.

MASTER KEATON was created and drawn by the award-winning manga artist Naoki Urasawa, story coproduced with Hokusei Katsushika and Takashi Nagasaki. MASTER KEATON will be rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens and carry an MSRP of $19.99 U.S. / $22.99 CAN. Each paperback volume will receive a deluxe treatment, including 18 pages of full-color artwork. In addition to publishing MASTER KEATON in North America, VIZ Media will also release it in print in the United Kingdom and Australia.

The riveting detective drama introduces Taichi Hiraga-Keaton, an archeology professor and part-time insurance investigator known for his successful and unorthodox methods of investigation. The son of a Japanese zoologist and an English noblewoman, educated in archaeology at Oxford and a former member of the SAS, Master Keaton uses his knowledge and combat training to uncover buried secrets, thwart would-be villains, and pursue the truth. The manga series was originally published in Japan between 1988 and 1994 in Big Comic Original magazine and also inspired a popular 39-episode anime adaptation.

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Master Keaton, Naoki Urasawa, Viz Media

Viz Media Serves Up Two New Shoujos For Fall 2014

By Lissa Pattillo on Monday, March 3, 2014

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Viz Media e-mailed out a press release today, announcing two new shoujo titles debuting this coming Fall:

Honey Blood – Miko Mitsuki
Kiss of the Rose Princess – Aya Shouoto

Both titles are rated Teen – kisses and hugs, but hold the sexy-times – and will be released for $12.99/CAN, $9.99/US. as single volume books.

Honey Blood is three volumes long and with it Shojo Beat adds another tale of vampiric romance to their library. In this series, high-schooler Hinata Sorazono is skeptical when a fellow student is supposedly attacked by a vampire. She starts to reconsider when her new neighbour turns out to be a famous author of vampire romances, but shares a lot in common with his undead leads.

Kiss of the Rose Princess has a plot that’s a little harder to grasp but let’s give it a go! One day a young woman named Anis Yamamoto is hit by a bat-like creature that falls out of the sky. It causes her to lose an important choker her Father gave her, but also grants her possession of four magical cards. Kissing each of said cards summons a knight at her command, but though she now has a mini army of pretty boys at her beck and call, what is she supposed to do with them? Kiss of the Rose Princess is nine volumes long.

As much as Shojo Beats license don’t sound that interesting to me at first, I tend to always end up enjoying most of them. They can be some darn good entertainment. Kiss of the Rose Princess actually does pique my interest though, sounding silly and fun and full of eye-candy. We’ll see how it reads when volume one is released in November. Honey Blood‘s first volume hits store shelves a month earlier in October.

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Categories: Licensing
Tags: Honey Blood, Kiss of the Rose Princess, Shojo Beat

PR: Shojo Beat Announces Fall Debuts, Honey Blood and Kiss of the Rose Princess

By Lissa Pattillo on Monday, March 3, 2014

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VIZ MEDIA’S SHOJO BEAT IMPRINT TO DEBUT THRILLING NEW MANGA SERIES HONEY BLOOD AND KISS OF THE ROSE PRINCESS

San Francisco, CA, March 3, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, announces exciting news for manga (graphic novel) fans as it expands its shojo catalog with the acquisition of two swoon-worthy new titles that are scheduled for release under the Shojo Beat imprint this Fall and Winter.

October will see the launch of the new supernatural romance series, HONEY BLOOD, followed in November by the magical girl adventure KISS OF THE ROSE PRINCESS. Both titles will debut in print and also digitally on VIZManga.com and the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch, Android-powered smart phones. Volumes will also be available on the NOOK, Kindle Fire, and Kobo ereaders, as well as in the iBooks and GooglePlay Stores

HONEY BLOOD • Rated ‘T’ For Teens • MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN • Available October 2014
When a girl at her school is attacked by what seems to be a vampire, high school student Hinata Sorazono refuses to believe that vampires even exist. But then she meets her new neighbor, Junya Tokinaga, the author of an incredibly popular vampire romance novel… Could it be that Junya’s actually a vampire – and worse yet, the culprit?! Discover his true identity and other secrets in this new 3-volume manga series created by Miko Mitsuki.

KISS OF THE ROSE PRINCESS • Rated ‘T’ For Teens •
MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN • Available November 2014
Anis Yamamoto has been told that if she ever removes the rose choker given to her by her father, a terrible punishment will befall her. Unfortunately she loses that choker when a bat-like being falls from the sky and hits her. Anis is granted four cards representing four knights whom she can summon with a kiss. But now that she has these gorgeous men at her beck and call, what exactly is her quest?! Find out in this new 9-volume series by creator Aya Shouoto.

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Honey Blood, Kiss of the Rose Princess, Shojo Beat

PR: Viz Media Invites Fans to Catch the Exciting Return of Ranma 1/2…

By Lissa Pattillo on Saturday, March 1, 2014

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VIZ MEDIA INVITES FANS TO CATCH THE EXCITING RETURN OF RANMA ½ IN A BRAND NEW OMNIBUS MANGA EDITION

Creator Rumiko Takahashi’s Groundbreaking
Gender-Bending Martial Arts Comedy Returns To North America In A Newly Re-Mastered 2-In-1 Manga Format

San Francisco, CA, February 28, 2014 – The wait is almost over as VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, announces next month’s exciting release of Rumiko Takahashi’s adored manga (graphic novel) series – RANMA ½ – as newly re-mastered 2-in-1 omnibus editions. The opening volume debuts on March 11th, presented for the first time ever in a right-to-left reading format that remains faithful to the original work. RANMA ½ is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens and will carry a MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN.

Ranma Saotome never thought a martial arts training mission to China would turn out like this! Due to an unfortunate accident at the cursed Chinese training ground Jusenkyo, when Ranma and his father get splashed with cold water, papa turns into a giant panda and male Ranma becomes a buxom young woman! Hot water reverses the effect, but only until the next time! Constantly chased by battle-happy martial artists and lovesick suitors of both sexes, what’s a half-boy, half-girl martial artist to do?

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Omnibus, Ranma 1/2, Rumiko Takahashi

Vertical Casts a Spell With Three Katsucon Licenses

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, February 26, 2014

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Almost missed this one! I shame myself, Kuriousity readers.

Earlier in the month, Vertical Inc announced three new licenses during their attendance at Katsucon:

Demi-Human – Gamon Sakurai
Garden of Words – Makoto Shinkai / Midori Motohashi
Witchcraft Works – Ryū Mizunagi

Demi-Human takes place in our modern world after the sudden appearance of immortal beings, with their immortal traits soon showing in random humans. The story follows a Japanese student who is killed in an accident and, after finding himself revived as one of the demi-humans, is now on the run from those who were once his own kind.

The first volume of Demi-Human is scheduled for October 2014, with pre-orders available now on Amazon.ca | Amazon.com.

Garden of Words is a manga adaptation of an anime film of the same name. It tells the story of a young shoemaker who spends his days in a park sketching footwear. There he meets a young woman and we follow the evolution of their relationship. Sentai Filmworks has released the Garden of Words film in English and it is gorgeous.

Vertical Inc’s manga edition of Garden of Words is scheduled for October 2014 as a one-shot release. Pre-orders are available on Amazon.ca | Amazon.com.

Last but not least, Witchcraft Works follows a young man who in class sits next to his school’s most popular student, Kagari Ayaka. One day his life is in danger and who should come to his rescue but Kagari, except she’s dressed as a witch, is part of a group called the Workshop Witches, and proclaims from that day on she’ll protect him from anything.

An anime adaptation of Witchcraft Works has been streaming this season with Crunchyroll providing the English simulcast. The first volume of Witchcraft Works is scheduled for September 2014. Pre-orders are available via Amazon.ca | Amazon.com.

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Categories: Licensing
Tags: Ajin, Garden of Words, Vertical Inc, Witchcraft Works

Kodansha Comics Tackles Fantasy and Reality with Two New Licenses

By Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, February 20, 2014

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Kodansha Comics took to social media yesterday to announce a trio of titles. While one was familiar to us – their Colossal edition of Attack on Titan – they also had two new series we’ll see later in the year:

Manga Dogs – Ema Toyama
Noragami – Adachitoka

Manga Dogs – originally called GDGD Dogs – is about a young woman named Kanna Tezuka who is already a professional manga artist at the age of fifteen. When her school starts a manga-creating club, she’s excited at the prospects. However, Kanna’s met with disappointment at finding a useless teacher and three club members with delusions about the life of creating comics. When she’s pressed into the role of their mentor, Kanna has to try and make the most of the situation by turning the boys around.

Manga Dogs is by Ema Toyama, whose had a couple series published in English previously – Missions of Love and I Am Here!. Neither of her series before have caught my interest but I’m always eager to read a comic about people making comics, so I’m eager to try out this new one.

Noragami is about a young man named Yato, who also happens to a God. However, he’s a God without a shrine or worshippers. Yato’s goal is to change all that though, but first he needs the money to get his own shrine built. He becomes a god-for-hire, doing all sorts of odd jobs to get one step closer to his dream and help some people along the way.

This is the second series out in English by Adachitoka, who provided the art for Alive!, published by Del Rey. I thought the art in Alive! was fantastic, so I’m really excited to see Adachitoka tackle another fantasy story with Noragami. Noragami also has an anime adaption that Funimation is currently streaming.

Volume one of both series are scheduled to be released sometime this Fall.

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Categories: Licensing
Tags: Kodansha Comics, Manga Dogs, Noragami

Kodansha Comics Plans Colossal Attack on Titan Omnibus

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, February 19, 2014

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Amidst some licensing news today, Kodansha Comics announced a repackaging of their bestselling series, Attack on Titan.

Scheduled for the end of May, this “colossal” edition will contain volumes one to five of Attack on Titan. That’s five volumes in one book, clocking in at a little over 1000 pages. Wow.

The book is being printed on “premium-quality paper”. This instills some faith the paper won’t be the flimsy, thin stuff we’re accustomed to in other omnibus editions – such as Viz Media’s VizBIG’s – and also gives further indication to just how massive this book will be. On top of that is news the book will be 7″ x 10.5″ – quite a bit larger than the original books, which are approximately 5″ x 7″.

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Categories: News
Tags: Attack on Titan, Kodansha Comics, Omnibus