Kuriousity | manga reviews and news

Press Releases

All press releases are posted as-is from companies and industry professionals. All press releases can be sent to lissa (a) kuriousity.ca. Kuriousity staff reserve the right not to post PR we do not feel is relevant to our site's readers.

PR: Viz Media Supports 2014 Free Comic Book Day with Graphic Novel & Manga Samplers

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, May 1, 2014

No Comments »

VIZ MEDIA SUPPORTS 2014 FREE COMIC BOOK DAY WITH GRAPHIC NOVEL & MANGA SAMPLERS SHOWCASING EXCITING NEW TITLES

Visit And Support Local Comics Retailers On May 3rd To Receive 2 FREE Samplers Featuring HELLO KITTY®, BRAVEST WARRIORS, ALL YOU NEED IS KILL, And TERRA FORMARS!

VIZ Media is proud to be a supporter and sponsor of 2014 Free Comic Book Day, and participates this year with a pair of special FREE manga and full-color original graphic novel samplers from the all-ages Perfect Square imprint, as well as out-of-this world previews from its first Haikasoru original graphic novel and VIZ Signature.

Scheduled for Saturday, May 3th at thousands of locations nationwide, Free Comic Book Day is an annual promotional campaign in the North American comic book industry to help bring new readers of all ages and interests into independent comic book stores. Free Comic Book Day began in 2002 and is coordinated by the industry’s single largest distributor, Diamond Comic Distributors. Readers should visit freecomicbookday.com to find a local participating retailer in their area.

VIZ Media participates this year as a Gold Level Sponsor and will offer two FREE exclusive releases (available while supplies last).

HELLO KITTY AND FRIENDS, FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2014 EDITION
Readers of all ages can join in the fun with Hello Kitty and her friends in all-new full-color adventures! This time they’re letting their imaginations run wild in two stories from the upcoming HELLO KITTY: JUST IMAGINE…, scheduled for August 2014 (MSRP: $7.99 U.S. / $9.99 CAN). Plus don’t miss a special sneak peek of Perfect Square’s upcoming tribute book, HELLO KITTY, HELLO 40: A CELEBRATION IN 40 STORIES, celebrating Hello Kitty’s 40th anniversary and iconic cultural impact. Scheduled for Fall release (MSRP: $29.99 U.S. / $34.99 CAN).

Also debuting in the Perfect Square 2014 Free Comic Book Day sampler are special bonus pages from BRAVEST WARRIORS: THE SEARCH FOR CATBUG (July, MSRP $19.99 U.S. / $22.99 CAN), featuring the adventures of the irrepressible Catbug, the darling, fan favorite character from Cartoon Hangover’s Bravest Warriors!

A special Perfect Square trailer for Free Comic Book Day may be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE-4DlsiWMc&authuser=0.

The VIZ Media 2014 Free Comic Book Day VIZ Signature manga sampler is aimed at older teen and adult readers and will offer excerpts from the new ALL YOU NEED IS KILL official graphic novel adaptation and the forthcoming manga series, TERRA FORMARS.

ALL YOU NEED IS KILL, AND TERRA FORMARS SNEAK PREVIEW!
Live…Die…Repeat… The mantra continues in exciting new graphic novel form and sci-fi and action fans are invited to preview an entire chapter from the new ALL YOU NEED IS KILL official graphic novel adaptation (May 6th debut, MSRP: $14.99 U.S. / $17.99 CAN). The gripping release from the Haikasoru imprint offers a single-volume retelling of the acclaimed ALL YOU NEED IS KILL novel, and is written by Haikasoru editor and noted sci-fi author, Nick Mamatas featuring full-color artwork by popular comic book artist Lee Ferguson (Green Arrow, Miranda Mercury). When the alien Mimics invade, Keiji Kiriya is one of many recruits shoved into battle armor Jackets and sent out to kill. Keiji dies on the battlefield, only to be reborn to fight and die again and again. He receives a message from a mysterious ally – is she the key to Keiji’s escape or his final death? The full ALL YOU NEED IS KILL graphic novel carries an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $17.99 CAN.

Manga fans can also catch an early peek of TERRA FORMARS, the tense sci-fi horror series created by Yu Sasuga and illustrated by Kenichi Tachibana that has become a bestseller in Japan (MSRP: $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN). In TERRA FORMARS, the colonization of Mars is an epoch-making event, but an unintended side effect of the terra-forming process unleashes a monstrous horror that no one could ever have imagined… Look for its serialized debut this July in print and digital formats from the VIZ Signature imprint and VIZManga.com.

For information on other all-ages titles available from the Perfect Square imprint, please visit: www.perfectsquare.com.

For more information on VIZ Signature and other manga titles published by VIZ Media, please visit: www.viz.com.

Share on Tumblr

PR: Viz Media’s Perfect Square Imprint Announces Three New Pokemon Manga Box Sets

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, April 29, 2014

1 Comment »

VIZ MEDIA’S PERFECT SQUARE IMPRINT PREVIEWS THREE NEW UPCOMING POKÉMON MANGA BOX SETS

Look Forward To New Multi-Volume Box Sets For POKÉMON BLACK AND WHITE, POKÉMON ADVENTURES RUBY & SAPPHIRE, And POKÉMON ADVENTURES DIAMOND & PEARL/PLATINUM

San Francisco, CA, April 28, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga, graphic novels and anime in North America, delivers exciting adventures featuring favorite Pokémon characters with the announcement of three new POKÉMON manga (graphic novel) box sets later this year from the Perfect Square imprint.

The POKÉMON ADVENTURES RUBY & SAPPHIRE Box Set and the POKÉMON BLACK AND WHITE Box Set 2 are scheduled for release in September. A POKÉMON ADVENTURES DIAMOND & PEARL/PLATINUM Box Set will debut in October. POKÉMON manga are rated ‘A’ for All Ages and each of the forthcoming sets will include a collectible full-color poster.

POKÉMON ADVENTURES RUBY & SAPPHIRE BOX SET •
MSRP: $59.99 U.S. / $79.99 CAN • Rated ‘A’ For All Ages •
Available Sept. 2014
Ruby’s father Norman is the new Gym Leader of Petalburg City. But Ruby doesn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps – he wants to win Pokémon Contests! Sapphire’s father Professor Birch is the local Pokémon researcher. But Sapphire is tired of gathering scientific data – she wants to win Pokémon Battles! When Ruby and Sapphire meet, they’re more likely to hit each other than hit it off. But then Sapphire challenges Ruby to a competition! Which of them will achieve their dreams in just eighty days?! Set contains the complete Ruby & Sapphire arc (Vols. 15-22) of the bestselling POKÉMON ADVENTURES series and a collectible color poster!

POKÉMON BLACK AND WHITE BOX SET 2 • MSRP: $25.99 U.S. / $29.99 CAN • Rated ‘A’ For All Ages • Available Sept. 2014
Meet Pokémon Trainers Black and White! His entire life, Black has dreamed of winning the Pokémon League! Now he embarks on a journey to explore the Unova region and fill a Pokédex for Professor Juniper. White has an exciting career as the Trainer of a talented troupe of performing Pokémon. She dreams of making her Tepig Gigi a star! Together, Black and White continue on their journey… What surprising new Pokémon – and people – will they meet along the way?! Compact manga set includes POKÉMON BLACK AND WHITE Volumes 9–14 and a collectible color poster!

POKÉMON ADVENTURES DIAMOND & PEARL/PLATINUM •
MSRP: $89.99 U.S. / $115.99 CAN • Rated ‘A’ For All Ages •
Available Oct. 2014
Set contains the complete Diamond & Pearl/Platinum story arc (Vols. 1-11) of the bestselling POKÉMON ADVENTURES series, along with a collectible color poster! Pokémon Trainers Pearl and Diamond are starstruck! Their goal? To perfect their Pokémon comedy act. So how do they wind up as bodyguards to a pampered little rich girl on a quest to reach the peak of Mt. Coronet? Thrills and laughs are guaranteed as the POKÉMON ADVENTURES series continues with POKÉMON DIAMOND & PEARL/PLATINUM.

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Perfect Square, Pokemon, Viz Media

PR: Viz Media Announces Fall Debut of World Trigger

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, April 22, 2014

No Comments »

A PAIR OF UNLIKELY HEROES ARE EARTH’S LAST LINE OF DEFENSE IN VIZ MEDIA’S MANGA, WORLD TRIGGER, DEBUTING THIS FALL

Gear Up As A Geek And His Peculiar Friend Take On Alien Invaders In Series Straight From The Pages Of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP

San Francisco, CA, April 21, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, announces the launch of a new manga (graphic novel) series this Fall with the release of WORLD TRIGGER in October. Created by Daisuke Ashihara, it has been thrilling domestic fans with new chapters featured regularly in the company’s WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP digital manga magazine and will captivate even more readers as it begins its release in graphic novel format.

WORLD TRIGGER debuts under its Shonen Jump imprint with the first two volumes releasing simultaneously on October 7th. Vols. 1 and 2 are rated ‘T’ for Teens and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN each. Digital versions will also launch for $6.99 (USD/CAN) each on the same day on VIZManga.com and through the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch, Android-powered smart phones, as well as through the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks and GooglePlay stores. New volumes will be released by bi-monthly.

WORLD TRIGGER begins four years after a mysterious portal to another dimension bursts open and invincible monsters called Neighbors invade Earth. Osamu Mikumo may not be the best among the elite warriors who co-opt other-dimensional technology to fight back, but along with his Neighbor friend Yuma, he’ll do whatever it takes to defend life on Earth as we know it.

In the series’ opening volume, upstanding Osamu always does the right thing, whether it means pitching in to save Earth after school or turning the other cheek to bullies. But when he meets a feisty humanoid Neighbor named Yuma, everything that he thinks is right is turned on its head. Can the two natural enemies ever become friends?

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Shonen Jump, Viz Media, World Trigger

PR: Yen Press Announces New Licenses and Light Novel Initiative at Sakura-Con

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Saturday, April 19, 2014

1 Comment »

Yen Press Announces New Licenses and Light Novel Initiative at Sakura-Con

NEW YORK, NY (April 19, 2014) – At its panel at Seattle’s Sakura-Con today, Yen Press announced a dedicated program for the English-language publication of Japanese light novels, to be branded Yen On. The newly established Yen On brand will expand on the imprint’s previous light novel offerings, which include such properties as Spice and Wolf, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (co-published with sister company Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), and the forthcoming releases of Sword Art Online and Accel World. Yen On will formally launch in Fall 2014 with a goal of releasing approximately twenty-four books in 2015.

Yen Press also announced several new licenses of popular manga series. The following is a summary of the new acquisitions announced today:

King of Eden
Takashi Nagasaki, critically acclaimed co-author of Monster, 20th Century Boys, Master Keaton, Billy Bat, and Pluto, pens a sweeping new masterpiece of the grotesque with artist SangCheol Lee. Released in cooperation with Haksan Publishing, chapters will be serialized digitally with global availability beginning May 1, 2014.

PandoraHearts ~odds and ends~
The dark whimsy of Jun Mochizuki’s New York Times best-selling world comes to vivid life in this art book featuring over 120 color and black-and-white illustrations from the imagination of the author. This lavish edition will be available in November 2014.

Gou-Dere Sora Nagihara
Two-dimensional love bursts into reality when Sora Nagihara leaps off the manga page and into Shouta Yamakawa’s life in this hilarious fantasy romp from Suu Minazuki. The first volume will debut in November 2014.

Love at Fourteen
Fall in love with Kanata and Kazuki, two unusually mature teens, in this bittersweet manga from the creative talent of Fuka Mizutani. The first volume will be available in November 2014.

The Angel of Elhamburg
Aki returns to the Yen Press list with the tale of a precarious friendship between a king and his knight that begins to crumble under the weight of jealousy and contempt as a beautiful angel looks on. The Angel of Elhamburg will release in Spring 2015.

Another
Published digitally in two volumes by Yen Press in 2013, Yukito Ayatsuji’s spine-chilling horror novels make their way to bookstore shelves in a hardcover omnibus edition under the Yen On brand in October 2014.

A Certain Magical Index
One of Japan’s most beloved light novel series (and one of our most requested), A Certain Magical Index will help launch the Yen On venture. Kazuma Kamachi’s epic tale of clashing Magicians and Espers, accompanied by Kiyotaka Haimura’s lush illustrations, will debut in Winter 2014.

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
One of the light novel category’s latest breakthrough successes, Fujino Omori’s hilarious fantasy about a hapless adventurer and a failed goddess, with illustrations by Suzuhito Yasuda, will round out the Yen On initial launch list in Winter 2014.

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Another, King of Eden, Light Novels, Love at Fourteen, Pandora Hearts, Sakura Con, The Angel of Elhamburg, Yen On, Yen Press

PR: Viz Media Releases Weekly Shonen Jump Pack Print Edition

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Friday, April 18, 2014

No Comments »

LEAP INTO THE WORLD OF MANGA AS VIZ MEDIA RELEASES NEW WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP PRINT EDITION “JUMP PACK” ISSUE 2

New Print Issue Features 100+ Pages Of Manga Content,
A 3-Month Digital Subscription And An Exclusive
Blue-Eyes White Dragon YU-GI-OH! Collectable Trading Card

VIZ Media’s WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP manga (graphic novel) magazine returns to its roots in print as it gives North American fans a special treat with the release of the WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP Jump Pack 2014, Issue 2 available now. The jam-packed print edition contains more than 100 pages of the world’s most popular featured series and is an ideal way to check out what the digital WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP magazine offers.

The WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP Jump Pack is available in the U.S. and Canada exclusively through retailers serviced by Diamond Comic Distributors and also from leading online anime/manga retailer Right Stuf. The WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP Jump Pack 2014, Issue 2 is rated ‘T’ for Teens and will carry an MSRP of $19.99 U.S. / $22.99 CAN.

The latest Jump Pack issue features the current hit series, ALL YOU NEED IS KILL, by DEATH NOTE and BAKUMAN｡ artist Takeshi Obata, as well as chapters from continuing fan favorites such as BLEACH, NARUTO, ONE PIECE, YU-GI-OH! ZEXAL and much more. The issue also includes a promotional code for a 3-month weekly digital subscription to the magazine along with a limited edition Blue-Eyes White Dragon YU-GI-OH! trading card with exclusive variant art from Kazuki Takahashi, the creator of the YU-GI-OH! series.

WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP is the world’s premiere manga brand and leading weekly manga magazine. The digital version published by VIZ Media features the latest installments of some of the world’s most popular manga series released every week to English readers on the same day as the magazine’s general print release in Japan. Currently serialized titles include the sci-fi action series, ALL YOU NEED IS KILL (based on the novel of the same name which is the source material for the major motion picture, Edge of Tomorrow, starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt!), and the recently launched STEALTH SYMPHONY, with story by Ryohgo Narita (Durarara!!) and bold artwork by Yoichi Amano. These join other popular series such as BLEACH, ONE PIECE, NARUTO, NISEKOI, ONE-PUNCH MAN, SERAPH OF THE END, TORIKO, and WORLD TRIGGER. The latest new chapters of monthly series BLUE EXORCIST and YU-GI-OH! ZEXAL debut on the closest Monday after their Japanese release.

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Press Releases
Tags: All You Need Is Kill, Bleach, Kubo Tite, Naruto, One Piece, Shonen Jump, Viz Media, Yu-Gi-Oh

PR: Viz Media Launches New Shojo Manga Series Phantom Thief Jeanne

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Sunday, March 9, 2014

No Comments »

VIZ MEDIA LAUNCHES NEW SHOJO MANGA SERIES PHANTOM THIEF JEANNE

From Famed Manga Creator Arina Tanemura, A Young Girl With Magical Powers Becomes An Art Thief To Steal Paintings Possessed by Demons

San Francisco, CA, March 5, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, steals the hearts of manga (graphic novel) fans with the launch of the series – PHANTOM THIEF JEANNE. The new magical-girl fantasy by beloved creator Arina Tanemura, is now available from the Shojo Beat imprint with an age raging of ‘T’ for Teens and carries an MSRP of $10.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

A digital version is also available for $6.99 (USD/CAN) on VIZManga.com and through the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch, Android-powered smart phones, as well as through the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks and GooglePlay stores.

The remaining volumes of the 5-volume fantasy adventure series are scheduled to debut every other month.

High school student Maron Kusakabe has a secret – she’s Phantom Thief Jeanne. She sneaks into private art collections to steal paintings in which demons reside. Jeanne’s task is to seal the demons before they can devour human hearts. So far she’s been able to evade the police on her midnight outings, but now another thief has come onto the scene – Phantom Thief Sinbad – and he’s trying to take the paintings before she does!

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Phantom Thief Jeanne

PR: More From Shojo Beat This Fall Incl Time Drama YUKARISM and New Vampire Knight

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Sunday, March 9, 2014

1 Comment »

VIZ MEDIA ADDS MORE TITLES TO SHOJO BEAT
FALL 2014 PUBLISHING SCHEDULE WITH NEW MANGA RELEASES

North America’s Leading Shojo Manga Imprint Adds BLACK BIRD COMPLETE BOX SET, Multiple Releases For International Bestseller VAMPIRE KNIGHT And The Premiere Of Time Travel Drama YUKARISM

San Francisco, CA, March 7, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, presents magical realms, time travel and gorgeous gothic vampires as it announces the acquisition by its Shojo Beat imprint of new releases for BLACK BIRD, VAMPIRE KNIGHT and a brand new series, YUKARISM, that are scheduled to debut during the Fall of 2014.

Fans can look forward to the time-traveling historical drama of YUKARISM, by esteemed creator Chika Shiomi, and can collect the entirety of the award-winning supernatural adventure BLACK BIRD in a deluxe box set. The final volume of Matsuri Hino’s gothic melodrama, VAMPIRE KNIGHT, will receive a Limited Edition treatment this Fall, and the second half of the series will be collected in a “Night Class” box set. Also of special interest will be VAMPIRE KNIGHT: FLEETING DREAMS, a volume of short stories featuring special illustrations by Matsuri Hino!

YUKARISM and VAMPIRE KNIGHT Volume 19 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. They will also be avaialble on the NOOK, Kindle Fire, and Kobo ereaders, as well as in the iBooks and Google Play Stores.

BLACK BIRD COMPLETE MANGA BOX SET• Rated ‘T+’ For Older Teens •
MSRP: $149.99 U.S. / $149.99 CAN • Available October 2014
There is a world of myth and magic that intersects ours, and only a special few can see it. Misao Harada is one such person, and she wants nothing to do with magical realms. She just wants to have a normal high school life and maybe get a boyfriend. But she is the bride of demon prophecy, and her blood grants incredible powers, her flesh immortality. Now the demon realm is fighting over the right to her hand…or her life! Creator Kanoko Sakurakouji won the 54th annual Shogakukan Manga Award for BLACK BIRD. This box set includes volumes 1-18, comprising the entire series, and a mini art book premium.

VAMPIRE KNIGHT LIMITED EDITION VOLUME 19 (SERIES FINALE)
• Rated ‘T+’ For Older Teens • MSRP: $15.99 U.S. / $18.99 CAN •
Available October 2014
Catch the final volume of VAMPIRE KNIGHT in a special limited edition featuring an alternate cover and mini art book. In the acclaimed series created by Matsuri Hino, Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorm, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy’s dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires! The Volume 19 regular edition will also be available to readers.

VAMPIRE KNIGHT: FLEETING DREAMS • MSRP: $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN •
Available December 2014
A collection of short stories by Ayuna Fujisaki, based on the VAMPIRE KNIGHT manga series, featuring special illustrations and a full-color fold out by Matsuri Hino! In “Deranged Love,” a dying Rido reflects on his obsessive love for Juri. Kaname wants to reward Yuki for doing well on her studies with tutor Aido in “Gifts for Yuki.” The story of Sara’s first love is revealed in “Hidden Love.” In “Queen of the Abyss,” after Zero parts ways with Yuki and returns to being a vampire hunter, he encounters a vampire named Shien. “The Melancholy of White Lily” features a tale of the bond between Zero and Cross Academy’s wild horse, and finally the students at Cross Academy find a time capsule on campus in “In a Thousand Years.”

VAMPIRE KNIGHT MANGA BOX SET 2 • Rated ‘T+’ For Older Teens • MSRP: $89.99 U.S. / $99.99 CAN • Available November 2014
The second box set completes the acclaimed series, and includes vols. 11-19 along with a premium mini art book.

YUKARISM • Rated ‘T+’ For Older Teens • MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN • Available in Print & Digital December 2014
Yukari Kobayakawa, an accomplished author at the age of 17, writes with amazingly accurate details about historical Japan. It turns out he has the ability to travel back in time – to his past life as a renowned courtesan in the Edo period! As he goes back and forth between the past and present, he also unravels the karmic relationship he has with his beautiful classmate Mahoro Tachibana… Catch the gorgeously illustrated historical romance from Chika Shiomi, the creator of YURARA and RASETSU (also available from VIZ Media).

Share on Tumblr

Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Black Bird, Matsuri Hino, Shojo Beat, Vampire Knight, Viz Media, Yukarism

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

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, March 5, 2014

1 Comment »

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.

Share on Tumblr

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

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, March 5, 2014

No Comments »

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.

Share on Tumblr

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

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

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Monday, March 3, 2014

No Comments »

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.

Share on Tumblr

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