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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: Demons are Vanished in Viz’s New Series Blue Excorcist

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, March 30, 2011

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A TEEN BOY VANQUISHES DEMONS IN THE NEW PARANORMAL MANGA SERIES BLUE EXORCIST FROM VIZ MEDIA

A Teenager Fights Against His Infernal Destiny In A New Shonen Jump Advanced Title

San Francisco, CA, March 30, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the release of the manga (graphic novel) series BLUE EXORCIST, by creator Kazue Kato, on April 5th. The new title will be published under the company’s Shonen Jump Advanced imprint, is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Raised by Father Fujimoto, a famous exorcist, Rin Okumura never knew his real father. One day a fateful argument with Father Fujimoto forces Rin to face a terrible truth – the blood of the demon lord Satan runs in Rin’s veins! Rin swears to defeat Satan, but doing that means entering the mysterious True Cross Academy and becoming an exorcist himself. Can Rin fight the demons and keep his infernal bloodline a secret? It won’t be easy, especially when drawing his father’s sword releases the demonic power within him!

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PR: Viz Media Premieres New Manga Series Sakura Hime

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, March 29, 2011

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VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF NEW MANGA SERIES
SAKURA HIME: THE LEGEND OF PRINCESS SAKURA

Latest Fantasy Series By Visionary Shojo Creator
Arina Tanemura Launches In April

San Francisco, CA, March 29, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, will delight shojo readers and fans of creator Arina Tanemura with the North American premiere of her current manga (graphic novel) series – SAKURA HIME: THE LEGEND OF PRINCESS SAKURA – on April 5th. The new title launches under the company’s Shojo Beat imprint, is rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Sakura is the granddaughter of a mysterious moon princess who slew demons with her Blood Cherry Blossom sword. All her life Sakura has been forbidden to look at the full moon without knowing why. Then one night, unhappy over her impending marriage, Sakura gazes up at the moon, only to see a demon attacking her…

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Tags: Sakura Hime, Viz Media

PR: Digital Manga Guild Acquires First 487 titles

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Monday, March 21, 2011

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Gardena, CA (March 21, 2011) – Digital Manga is excited to announce the first acquisition of 487 titles from Japanese publishers for the Digital Manga Guild (DMG). That number is expected to grow exponentially, as publishers have shown an increased interest within the past few weeks to be a part of DMG.

While the names of the publishers must still be kept under wraps, the growing amount of titles has astounded everyone at Digital Manga Publishing (DMP). In addition, the genres have varied between yaoi, shojo, josei, and seinen, with more to come. DMG has been President Sasahara’s personal project over the past years, as he sought a new way to produce more titles quickly for manga fans. The Guild finally came to fruition in October of last year under the DMP umbrella, and has steadily grown with over 1,100 members joining to take part in this manga community initiative. With their help, DMG promises to be a guaranteed success.

The titles keep rolling in from Japan, further establishing the Digital Manga Guild as a serious business changing the way manga will be localized.

Read more…

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Tags: DM Guild, DMP

PR: Kodansha USA Announces the Return of Sailor Moon

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Saturday, March 19, 2011

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KODANSHA USA ANNOUNCES THE RETURN OF SAILOR MOON

Never-before-published Enhanced Editions of the Groundbreaking Manga SeriesShare Long-Awaited US Publishing Debut with CODENAME SAILOR V

NEW YORK, New York – March 18, 2011 – Kodansha USA Publishing, a subsidiary of Kodansha, announced today the exciting return of Naoko Takeuchi’s SAILOR MOON, one of the most significant names in comics and manga, to US publishing. Brand new deluxe editions of the acclaimed series will be released by Kodansha USA’s Kodansha Comics imprint in September 2011. Out of print for six years, SAILOR MOON re-launches along with Takeuchi’s two-volume prequel series CODENAME: SAILOR V, in print in the US for the first time—making this one of the most highly anticipated manga releases in years.

The SAILOR MOON manga, which originated in Japan in 1992 and debuted in the US in 1997, follows Usagi Tsukino, a young girl who transforms into super heroine Sailor Moon to combat evil and fight for love and justice in the name of the Moon and the mysterious Moon Princess. The first successful shôjo (girls’) manga release in the US, SAILOR MOON changed the book landscape and helped establish the foundation for the manga craze; in particular drawing attention to the popularity of comics among female readers.

Prequel series CODENAME: SAILOR V, the first of Takeuchi’s “magical girl” manga, will make its highly anticipated debut in the US alongside the SAILOR MOON re-launch. In CODENAME: SAILOR V, teenager Minako Aino fights as Sailor V against the villains of the Dark Agency before she discovers Sailor Moon.

The Kodansha USA editions of SAILOR MOON will be published on a bi-monthly schedule and follow the 2003 Japanese re-release format of the classic series. The original 18 volumes have been condensed into 12 volumes covering the main storyline, and two volumes dedicated to short stories. Each volume has gorgeous new cover art, retouched interior art and dialogue along with extensive bonus material from Takeuchi, and detailed translation notes.

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Tags: Kodansha Comics, Sailor Moon

PR: Viz Media Donates to Japanese Disaster Relief Efforts

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Thursday, March 17, 2011

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VIZ MEDIA DONATES TO JAPANESE EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI AID AND RECOVERY EFFORTS

San Francisco, CA, March 17, 2011 – Manga publisher VIZ Media has joined global relief efforts following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan with a substantial corporate donation to aid the recovery. The company will donate the funds to three prominent organizations – Save the Children, AmeriCares and Architecture for Humanity – working to provide immediate aid and assistance in the affected regions of Sendai and Fukushima.

In addition, VIZ Media is planning additional fundraising efforts with other San Francisco Bay Area companies and businesses, which will benefit Artists Help Japan (in partnership with Give2Asia).

The 9.0 earthquake displaced more than 100,000 children from their homes and more than 380,000 people have been evacuated across the country. Many tsunami-affected areas are still cut off from relief and Japan remains on high alert for the three nuclear reactors in Fukushima. More than 465 roads, 43 railways and seven bridges have been completely washed away.

“We were all shocked and saddened by the terrible events of March 11th, but we’re heartened and inspired by resilience of the Japanese people and the tremendous outpouring of physical aid, money, and global good will that has followed so quickly,” says Hidemi Fukuhara, President and CEO of VIZ Media. “Save the Children, AmeriCares, Architecture for Humanity and Artists Help Japan will provide critical support and aid for the youngest victims of the disaster, arrange for medical care and social services for all survivors, as well as help begin rebuilding efforts. We’re honored to contribute to Japan’s recovery, and encourage our fans to do the same.”

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Tags: Viz Media

PR: Viz Media Details New 2011 Manga Acquisitions

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Friday, March 4, 2011

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VIZ MEDIA MANGA ACQUISITIONS SLATED FOR RELEASE THE SECOND HALF OF 2011

Eagerly Anticipated New Titles Include Kids Favorites, Stirring Sci-Fi Action, Shojo Fantasy Drama, And Works By Natsume Ono And The Celebrated CLAMP Manga Creative Team

San Francisco, CA, March 3, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has detailed a variety of notable new manga (graphic novel) acquisitions for the second half of 2011.

Scheduled for release in coming months, perfect for kids’ summertime fun, are a pair of new POKÉMON™ titles including a Travel Activity Kit and the debut of the POKÉMON BLACK & WHITE manga series. The highly anticipated cute and quirky bean dogs of MAMESHIBA will also debut in their own manga and in a character guide. Other titles aimed at Teen and Older Teen readers will feature the high-speed action of YU-GI-Oh! 5D’s in an innovative new original story, the tense mystery drama PSYREN, a remastered 3-in-1 collection of the classic apocalyptic saga X by the celebrated manga creative team CLAMP, an anthology of 14 never-before-released stories by Natsume Ono in TESORO, and the dramatic fantasy of DAWN OF THE ARCANA.

POKÉMON TRAVEL ACTIVITY KIT • Rated ‘A’ for All Ages •
MSRP: $11.99 US / $13.99 CAN • Available May 2011
This Activity Kit offers a variety of brand-new Pokémon from the new Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version video games. The box of fun delivers hours of entertainment and allows kids to play alone or with friends. Included is a 64-page activity pad (featuring word puzzles, mazes, etc.), two sheets of stickers, one double-sided play poster, six crayons and two standees. All of this is contained in a durable, suitcase-type package with Velcro closures and a handle for easy portability.

POKÉMON BLACK & WHITE Vols. 1-2 • Rated ‘A’ for All Ages •
MSRP: $4.99 US each / $5.99 CAN each • Available July 2011
Meet Pokémon Trainers Black and White! White has a burgeoning career as a Trainer of performing Pokémon. Black is about to embark on a Training Journey to explore the Unova region and fill a Pokédex for Prof. Juniper. Who will Black choose as his first Pokémon? Who would you choose…? Plus, meet brand-new Pokémon Tepig, Snivy, Oshawott, and many more never-before-seen Pokémon from the unexplored Unova region!

MAMESHIBA: ON THE LOOSE! • Rated ‘A’ for All Ages •
MSRP: $6.99 US / $7.99 CAN • Available July 2011
It’s a BEAN! It’s a DOG! It’s…BOTH?! Meet Mameshiba, the cute little bean dogs with bite! Starring in their first-ever adventures, they rescue friends, explore outer space and offer interesting bits of trivia when you least expect it! Hold on tight–Mameshiba are on the LOOSE! And don’t miss the Mameshiba Shorts!

MEET MAMESHIBA • Rated ‘A’ for All Ages •
MSRP: $6.99 US / $7.99 CAN • Available July 2011
Are they beans? Are they dogs? Not quite either one–they’re Mameshiba! Though they all love to share weird facts, each has its own quirky personality. Find out about Edamame, Chili Bean, Lentil and all their friends in this insider’s guide packed with trivia, quizzes, comics and activities!

YU-GI-OH! 5D’s Vol. 1 • Rated ‘T’ for Teens •
MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN • Available July 2011
In New Domino City, the hottest game in town is the Turbo Duel, fought on blazingly fast motorcycles called Duel Runners. On the outskirts of New Domino City, in a district known as Satellite, a new Turbo Duel hero emerges named Yusei Fudo! On his custom-built Duel Runner, Yusei takes on all challengers, fighting for his friends and the future of Satellite! Also included in first print-run editions is a bonus Dark Highlander collectible trading card!

PSYREN Vol. 1 • Rated ‘T’ for Teens •
MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN • Available October 2011
Ageha Yoshina just got transported to a warped alternate dimension where you’ve got to fight your way back to our world – or die trying. “Save me!” Those were Sakurako Amamiya’s last words to her friend Ageha Yoshina before she mysteriously went missing. Now Ageha’s on a quest to find her. He’s convinced that the mythical Psyren Secret Society has something to do with the recent rash of disappearances. And now he seems to be caught up as a player in their very deadly game…

X 3-IN-ONE Vol. 1 • Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens •
MSRP: $19.99 US / $22.99 CAN • Available October 2011
X, the epic fantasy series from CLAMP, will be released in deluxe collector’s editions. The pages have been recomposed in the original right-to-left reading format and restored to their highest quality. Each volume contains three of the original graphic novels, along with gorgeous, full-color illustrations never before published outside Japan!

In X, Kamui Shiro is a young man followed by mystery. Taken from Tokyo by his mother while still a child, he must leave behind his closest friends. Returning to Tokyo after his mother’s death, Kamui is now a changed young man – moody and distant to his old friends, yet determined to protect them from the dark forces that constantly swirl around him. He is the nexus of a great cataclysm to come, and the inheritor to a strange destiny that could decide the fate of the entire world.

TESORO • Rated ‘T’ for Teens • MSRP: $12.99 US / $14.99 CAN •
Available November 2011
This is an engrossing manga treasure trove containing 14 charming stories about family, friends, couples and unexpected bonds. Written by Natsume Ono over ten years, here is the long-awaited collection of her early work, including numerous illustrations and previously unpublished stories!

DAWN OF THE ARCANA Vol. 1 • Rated ‘T’ for Teens •
MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN • Available December 2011
To end the conflict between the warring kingdoms of Senan and Belquat, Princess Nakaba of Senan is sent to Belquat to marry Prince Caesar. Accompanied solely by her half-beast attendant Loki, Nakaba must learn not only how to survive the intrigues of a hostile court but also how to handle the mercurial Caesar. And in the swirl of secrets and treachery, there could be one thing greater than all: the mysterious power of the Arcana.

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Tags: CLAMP, Dawn of the Arcana, Viz Media

PR: VIZ Media Presents SHONEN JUMP Magazine’s 100th Issue!

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, March 1, 2011

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VIZ MEDIA’S CELEBRATES THE 100th ISSUE OF SHONEN JUMP MAGAZINE WITH SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE

North America’s Most Popular Manga Monthly Delivers Heroes Of Manga Retrospective, DRAGON BALL X ONE PIECE Crossover
Story And A Free YU-GI-OH! Trading Card

San Francisco, CA, March 1, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, celebrates the 100th issue of SHONEN JUMP magazine, which hits newsstands nationwide today. Cover price will be $4.99.

The commemorative April 2011 issue features special content including a pictorial retrospective of all the manga heroes that have graced the magazine’s pages since the very first issue. This includes original SHONEN JUMP heroes such as Goku from DRAGON BALL, Yugi from YU-GI-OH! and popular mainstays like Naruto, Ichigo from BLEACH, as well as more recent additions to the SHONEN JUMP Super Team including Ageha from the new manga series PSYREN, and Yusei from YU-GI-OH! 5D. The issue also contains the DRAGON BALL X ONE PIECE CROSS EPOCH, a one-shot manga where characters from both popular series meet, and includes a free YU-GI-OH! trading card, Dark Magician.

SHONEN JUMP’s redesign for 2011, which launched in January, welcomed the new decade with a fresh, contemporary look and expanded print and web content. SHONEN JUMP continues to be the best-selling manga anthology in North America and now features 2 brand new series – the science fiction thriller PSYREN, and fan favorite YU-GI-OH! 5D’S – that join other current monthly favorites such as BLEACH, NARUTO and ONE PIECE.

The magazines team has also taken an aggressive approach to integrating the SHONEN JUMP web site (www.ShonenJump.com) with the print magazine with subscriber-only content available exclusively online, including the brand new manga series, NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN (rated ‘T’ for Teens) and new exclusive feature and news items every month.

“The celebration of SHONEN JUMP in the U.S. that we started in January with the magazine’s redesign and revamped web site continues with our 100th issue spectacular,” says SHONEN JUMP Senior Editor Joel Enos. “We’re committed to giving fans what they’ve asked for and we will continue to do so with even more direct communication with our readers! This issue’s Heroes of Manga gives fans a fun trip down memory lane and also lets them meet some new heroes for the first time. Plus, we are showcasing the DRAGON BALL X ONE PIECE CROSS EPOCH, a unique manga mash-up never before seen in the U.S. that features Goku and Luffy, as well as many of their supporting cast, together for the first time in a story written and drawn by both creators Akira Toriyama and Eiichiro Oda. This is definitely an issue not to be missed!”

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Tags: Magazine, One Piece, Viz Media

PR: Viz Media Launches March Manga Madness on iPad

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, March 1, 2011

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MARCH MANGA MADNESS LAUNCHES
FOR THE VIZ MANGA APP FOR THE iPAD

VIZ Manga App Surpasses 100 Volumes Milestone in March;
All Volume 1’s Available For Download in March For Only $0.99

VIZ Media continues to rapidly expand its online library of manga (graphic novel) titles available from the FREE VIZ MANGA APP for the Apple® iPad™ mobile device. By the end of March, over 100 volumes will be available for download. To celebrate, a special March-only promotion will launch that makes all Volume 1 manga titles available for only $0.99 (instead of $4.99).

After shopping, also enter to win a $50 iTunes gift card by taking the VIZ Manga App survey. The latest updates for the first week of March feature new additions to 8 of the 16 popular VIZ Media series currently available. More special offers will be announced throughout the month and users should check the App frequently for new announcements.

The VIZ MANGA APP is available for FREE through the iTunes Store and manga volumes are generally available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada within the application for $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) per volume. The VIZ MANGA APP also now features a new software upgrade (Version 3.0), which delivers better functionality including bookmarks, improved storage, navigation, and the ability to browse-by-series in the “My Manga” library. Push notifications will also automatically notify users when new volumes of favorite bookmarked titles are added.

Sixteen series are now available on the VIZ Manga App; manga volumes available this week include:

BAKUMAN｡ Vol. 2
BLEACH Vol. 9
CAPTIVE HEARTS Vol. 2
CLAYMORE Vol. 4
D.GRAY MAN Vol. 5
DEATH NOTE Vol. 7
DRAGON BALL Vol. 14
MERUPURI Vol. 2
NARUTO Vol. 15
NATSUME’S BOOK OF FRIENDS Vol. 1
ONE PIECE Vol. 15
OTOMEN Vol. 3
OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB Vol. 3
RUROUNI KENSHIN Vol. 7
TORIKO Vol. 2
VAMPIRE KNIGHT Vol. 4

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Tags: Bakuman, One Piece, Shoujo Beat, Vampire Knight, Viz Media

PR: Viz Media Debuts New Shojo Series Oresama Teacher

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Saturday, February 26, 2011

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PLENTY OF LAUGHS ARE IN STORE WHEN A HIGH-SCHOOL BAD GIRL TRIES TO BE GOOD IN THE NEW VIZ MEDIA MANGA SERIES ORESAMA TEACHER

New Shojo Beat Series Follows A Reformed Teenage Delinquent As She Tries To Lead A Normal And Peaceful High School Life

San Francisco, CA, February 24, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, brings the hilarious high-school hijinks of Izumi Tsubaki’s manga (graphic novel) series, ORESAMA TEACHER, to North American audiences on March 1st. The new title will be published under the Shojo Beat imprint, is rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Mafuyu is the no-nonsense, take-charge and hard-hitting leader of her high school gang. But when she gets expelled for being a delinquent, her mother, fed up with her daughter’s wayward ways, sends Mafuyu to an isolated school far off in the country. Determined to make the best of the situation and make her mother proud, Mafuyu decides to turn over a new, feminine, well-behaved leaf. But her fighting spirit can’t be kept down, and the night before school starts she finds herself defending some guy who’s getting beaten up. One slip wouldn’t have been a problem, except the guy is…her teacher?! How can Mafuyu learn to be a good girl if her teacher won’t let her forget her wicked past?

“Mafuyu is going to have to try very hard to be the well-behaved, ultra-shiny, super-feminine high school student she longs to become,” says Pancha Diaz, Editor. “But along the way, she will have to contend with a homeroom teacher who blackmails her, an unruly classmate who likes to fight, and her own tendency to still find trouble. We invite readers to jump into her latest story and follow Mafayu as she strives to live like a normal high school girl.”

Izumi Tsubaki began drawing manga during her first year of high school. She was soon selected to be among the top ten of Hana to Yume’s HMC (Hana to Yume Mangaka Course), and she subsequently won Hana to Yume’s Big Challenge contest. Her debut title, Shrink the Distance, ran in 2002 in Hana to Yume magazine. In addition to THE MAGIC TOUCH (published in North America by VIZ Media), she is working her current manga series ORESMA TEACHER (I’m The Teacher).

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PR:February VIZ Manga App Shojo Debuts!

Posted by Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, February 9, 2011

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FANTASY ADVENTURE SERIES MERUPURI AND NATSUME’S BOOK OF FRIENDS LAUNCH IN FEBRUARY ON THE VIZ MANGA APP FOR iPad

Two Fun New Shojo Manga Debuts Complement The Latest Updates To 13 Other Popular Series

VIZ Media has announced a variety of exciting new additions for the month of February for its digital library of manga (graphic novel) titles available from the VIZ MANGA APP for the Apple® iPad™ mobile device. Just launched is Matsuri Hino’s shojo fantasy fairytale, MERUPURI, while the supernatural adventure of NATSUME’S BOOK OF FRIENDS, by Yuki Midorikawa, launches on February 21st. The latest February update will also feature new additions to 13 other popular VIZ Media series currently available.

The VIZ MANGA APP is available for free through the iTunes Store and all manga volumes are available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada within the application for $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) per volume.

MERUPURI, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · Available Now!
All high school freshmen Airi Hoshina ever wanted was to someday live in a cozy home with a loving husband and find joy in the little things in life. As a result, she makes it her daily mission to get to school on time because school legend has it that the longer one’s non-tardy streak is the better boyfriend one will find. But just when her daily routine is working like clockwork, an occurrence of fairytale proportions threatens to disrupt her grand plan.

NATSUME’S BOOK OF FRIENDS, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens ·
Available February 21st
Takashi Natsume can see the spirits and demons that hide from the rest of humanity. He has always been set apart from other people because of his gift, drifting from relative to relative, never fitting in. Now he’s a troubled high school student who has come to live in the small town where his grandmother grew up. And there he discovers that he has inherited more than just the Sight from the mysterious Reiko.

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Shoujo Beat, Vampire Knight, Viz Media