VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, will release the action film, K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces, on DVD on April 20th. The film will carry an MSRP of $24.92 U.S. / $35.99 CAN, and will be distributed exclusively across North America by VIZ Media.
Director Shimako Sato assembled a strong cast and used cutting edge special effects to bring K-20 to life. The movie is set in the fictional city of Teito in the late 1940s, in a world where World War II never happened and the nobility system established during the Meiji Era still exists. An extreme divide exists between the upper and lower classes, with 90 percent of the country’s wealth being held by the upper class. The capital of Teito is in crisis with the emergence of a menacing phantom thief known as “The Fiend (Kaijin) with Twenty Faces” or simply “K-20.” The film is based on The Story of Nijyumenso, a novel written by Soh Kitamura, and also features the mesmerizing theme song, Shock of the Lightning, by the British band Oasis.
Heikichi Endo (played by Takeshi Kaneshiro) is a circus acrobat who is deceived by K-20 and framed to take the fall for the phantom thief. Using his incredible physical dexterity, Heikichi wages war against K-20 in order to clear his name and fights alongside K-20’s next wealthy target, Duchess Yoko Hashiba (Takako Matsu) and her fiancée, the brilliant detective Kogoro Akechi (Toru Nakamura). But what is the ultimate decision Heikichi has to make?
Actor Takeshi Kaneshiro is internationally renowned and made his screen debut in the film Executioners (1993) followed by the critically acclaimed Wong Kar-Wai film Chungking Express (1994). More recently he has starred in films including House of Flying Daggers (2004) and The Battle of Red Cliff (2008).
To celebrate this new release, VIZ Pictures has also announced a special theatrical screening of K-20 at VIZ Cinema in San Francisco on April 20th at 7:00pm. Tickets are $25.00 and also will include a copy of the DVD, a K-20 poster and more! VIZ Cinema is located at: 1746 Post St., San Francisco, CA 94115. Tickets are available at the box office and online at vizcinema.com.
“The character of K-20 was originally born in the best-selling 26-volume Boy Detectives series, written by Japanese literary master Rampo Edogawa, and over the years the stories have been enjoyed by more than 100 million people,” says Seiji Horibuchi, President and CEO of VIZ Pictures. “The inspired film uses a potent mix of eye-catching visual effects and gravity-defying high wire stunts to bring the unique story to the screen with incredible results. We look forward to fans discovering this thrilling new action feature from VIZ Pictures.”
For more information on K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces or other VIZ Pictures titles, please visit viz-pictures.com.
VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced their list of DVD titles scheduled for release in May through June 2010. This includes the latest box set and episodic releases of the popular Naruto and Bleach series. Also releasing are the live action feature films — Makoto Aida: Cynic in the Playground, 20th Century Boys 3: Redemption and Katsura Funakoshi: Whispering Gaze from VIZ Pictures. VIZ Media DVD titles are distributed (in English) in the U.S and Mexico by Warner Home Video and in Canada by Allegro.
Bleach releases include:
Bleach Uncut Box Set 5
Rated “T” for Teens
MSRP: $49.95 US / $71.99 CAN
Available June 8
The deadly Bounts have infiltrated the Soul Society seeking revenge, and Ichigo and his comrades are quick to follow. But with the large amounts of reishi available in the Soul Society, the Bounts’ power seems nearly limitless, and even the most formidable Soul Reaper captains have a grueling fight on their hands. At the Department of Research and Development, Bount leader Jin Kariya is after the Bount Crest known as Jokaisho, which has the power to blow all of the Seireitei away, and only Ichigo and Chad stand in his way! Contains episodes: 92-109 (Original and Uncut).
Bleach Volume 28
Rated “T” for Teens
MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN
Available May 25
Captain Hitsugaya, along with Lieutenant Matsumoto and other Soul Reapers, arrives in Karakura Town to protect the living from the murderous Arrancars. Led by the Arrancar Grimmjow, the Arrancars have entered the World of the Living with the goal of killing anyone who possesses the slightest amount of Spiritual Pressure. As they fan out looking for victims, they find a fight with well-trained Soul Reapers instead. Ichigo, Chad, and the Advance Troops fight hard to protect Karakura town from the dangerous intruders. Contains episodes 114–117.
Bleach Volume 29
Rated “T” for Teens
MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN
Available June 22
The streets of Karakura Town become the scene of a fierce battle between Soul Reapers and the Arrancars. Ikkaku Madarame faces off against the Arrancar Edrad, who dodges his wild attacks, forcing him to release his Bankai, which he has long kept secret. And Captain Hitsugaya struggles against the Arrancar Shawlong, who reveals to him the existence of far more powerful Arrancars called the Espada. Contains episodes 118–121.
For more information on Bleach, please visit BLEACH.viz.com.
Naruto releases include:
Naruto Uncut Season 3 Box Set Volume 1
Rated “T+” for Older Teens
MSRP: $49.95 US / $71.99 CAN
Available June 29
Naruto returns from his training journey eager to see his friend Sasuke. But Sasuke has only one thing on his mind: his quest for revenge against his older brother. His unquenchable thirst for power knows no bounds, and soon he is lured from the Leaf Village by Orochimaru’s minions, the Sound Four. Determined to get him back, Shikamaru and Naruto put together a team of the top genin in the village to go after him, and the chase begins! Contains episodes 107–135.
Naruto: Shippuden Volume 9
Rated “‘T+” for Older Teens
MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN
Available May 18
Everything about Team Kakashi’s newest member Sai rubs Naruto the wrong way, and Sakura and their new leader Yamato have their hands full trying to keep them apart. A night at a hot springs inn doesn’t do much to promote team unity, but Naruto decides that he will do anything, even pair up with Sai, to help their mission succeed: to find Sasuke and bring him back. Sai has a hard time understanding Naruto’s feelings, but that may be because he himself has no feelings at all! Contains episodes 35–39.
Naruto: Shippuden Volume 10
Rated “‘T+” for Older Teens
MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN
Available June 1
In the midst of their spying mission, Team Kakashi is suddenly confronted with the Leaf Village’s sworn enemy, Orochimaru. Naruto challenges him, and during their battle, his anger brings forth the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox. Naruto will never give up his determination to find Sasuke and bring him home, but in his rage he risks losing all awareness of himself and hurting those he cares for the most. Contains episodes 40–43.
For more information on Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden, please visit NARUTO.com.
From VIZ Pictures (Live Action Feature Films):
Makoto Aida: Cynic in the Playground
Artist Series Volume 5
MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN
Available May 4
Known for his diverse and controversial works in various media, Makoto Aida shares his work and private life as he creates his “Human Project” and “Shinjuku Castle.” Through his creative process his unique character surfaces.
20th Century Boys 3: Redemption
MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN
Available June 1
Based on Naoki Urasawa’s phenomenal hit manga, 20th Century Boys 3: Redemption is the third and final chapter of the sci-fi action film trilogy. With an all-star cast and input from the original creator himself, the characters truly come to life in this exciting live-action motion picture, which is directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi. Toshiaki Karasawa, Etsushi Toyokawa, Takako Tokiwa, Teruyuki Kagawa, Airi Taira and others once again star in the film.
Katsura Funakoshi: Whispering Gaze
Artist Series Volume 6
MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN
Available June 15
Witness the visionary sculptor Katsura Funakoshi as he breathes life into camphor wood. His human-like sculptures are known for their distant gaze as if pondering philosophical thoughts and projecting subtle yet bold emotions.
For more information on VIZ Pictures, please visit viz-pictures.com.
We were saving this announcement for tomorrow’s comic book signing at Golden Apple Comics, but this inadvertently got leaked via our YouTube Channel and then picked up by the web TV news site Tubefilter.tv. Yes, The Guild is moving into animation. This is one of the new projects that has been in development from Knights of Good, as has been mentioned in several interviews. Especially exciting is that the animation studio that approached The Guild intends on bringing it to Saturday mornings as a half-hour program.
Special thanks to the fabulous Paul and Storm (website, Twitter) who created the theme song and Greg Aronowitz (blog, Twitter) who is leading the project. Behind the scenes photo below of Greg working on the animation.
VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has licensed 52 episodes of the popular Shonen Sunday Kekkaishi anime series to Adult Swim for domestic broadcast. Kekkaishi will begin airing on May 29th.
Kekkaishi is based on the hit manga series by Yellow Tanabe (also published in North America by VIZ Media). A story of mystical forces powerful in the region known as Karasumori. For over 400 years, it has been the duty of a clan of “kekkaishi” — barrier masters — to guard this land and exterminate the supernatural creatures that are drawn to it night after night.
Yoshimori Sumimura is a junior high school student at Karasumori Academy, which is built upon the Karasumori grounds. By night, Yoshimori follows the tradition passed down through generations and fulfills his destiny as the twenty-second “kekkaishi” of the Sumimura clan. But by day, Yoshimori’s got other demons to contend with, like an obsession with cake making and a seriously crotchety grandfather! Yoshimori’s pretty neighbor, childhood friend and rival, Tokine Yukimura, is also a “kekkaishi,” but their families are caught up in a feud over who is the true practitioner of the art. Protecting ordinary people from the ever-present danger of the Karasumori grounds, Yoshimori will continue to grow stronger as he battles the forces of evil again tonight!
“Kekkaishi spotlights compelling cool characters, in an intense yet fun-filled supernatural action adventure saga. It possesses all of the hallmarks of great anime!” says William Germain, Director, Programming & Music Sales, VIZ Media. We are very excited to add Kekkaishi to the Adult Swim anime lineup for U.S. fans to enjoy.”
For more information on Kekkaishi please visit ShonenSunday.com.
As the final touches of independent, feature-length effects marvel Project London are now underway, the film is quietly gaining attention among special effects experts and social networking communities all over the world. The virtually no-budget, live action movie features more than 650 vivid, intense visual effects and animations that help drive a compelling story about a boy battling with a moral dilemma in a present day sci-fi epic. Unique to the film’s production is the use of the open-source software, Blender, for the core of all animated visual effects in the film. As Jawbone.tv called it, Project London is likely one of the “most ambitious no-budget effects movie ever.”
“The entire concept of Project London is enough to make anyone excited, from science-fiction fans to software engineers, from movie buffs to post-production artists, and it has,” said Phil McCoy, Project London Executive Producer and founder of Spiral Productions LLC. “An undertaking like this film wouldn’t be possible without a storyteller like Director Ian Hubert, the support of many talented Blender artists, and the more than 250 worldwide volunteer artists and craft people who joined our team.”
Progress and new reveals of Project London are chronicled on the movie’s Web site at projectlondonmovie.com, where, today, the newest teaser clip has been released to the public. The clip introduces fans to the world of Project London and its two significant forces: the London Underground and the Joint Command. The song showcased in the new teaser clip, “Multiply,” is a brand new song by Half Acre Day. It will be featured in the film and available exclusively on the Project London soundtrack.
PROJECT LONDON SYNOPSIS
This is a story about Nebraska Higgins plunging into a world of intrigue and struggle when the Joint Command kills his father, a hero known by his exosuit, Arizona. Seeing a prime opportunity, the London Underground, a rugged band of revolutionaries, recruits Nebraska to join the resistance against the Joint Command. Will Nebraska, who is dealing with the loss of his father, help the government and rat out his father’s associates or join their cause and work to put an end to a secret initiative sponsored by the military wing of the government? Earth’s fate depends on the potential in this young man’s heart.
THE TRIUMVERATE Project London is led by three entrepreneurs who are feverishly devoted to producing brilliant visual effects around a great story:
Director Ian Hubert
Hubert both wrote and directed Project London, coining the film’s notable tagline, “This movie will eat your planet.” Ian is now leading the post-production charge. While pre-production and production lasted just a few months, post-production with the 650 visual effects has taken nearly two years with help from volunteer artists and the Blender community.
“This massive undertaking would never have been possible without the incredible support of all the artists lending their skills and creativity to the project,” Hubert said. “I’ve been surrounded by so many talented people, and each one brought their own piece of life and creativity to the film. It’s a really organic process. It’s great seeing all of these pieces come together from so many different avenues. We’ve thrown everything we have into making this a really fun movie experience, and I can’t wait to be able to watch the finished product with everyone.”
Hubert first started making films in the fourth grade when he adopted an old Japanese camcorder and started playing with CG effects and movies. By the time he reached high school, he was making a feature-length film each year.
Executive Producers, The McCoy Brothers
The McCoy Brothers, Phil and Nathan, teamed up to produce Project London, as their unique skills and passions created a solid working foundation for the film. Nathan finally has a vehicle to let his inner sci-fi geek take complete control. Outside of his day job, he tapped into his thousands of hours watching sci-fi masterpieces by acting as location manager and volunteer staff recruiter during the production phase of Project London. Before founding Spiral Productions LLC to produce Project London, Phil joined the world of showbiz as an ambitious young entertainer by producing a number of neighborhood magic shows before honing his skills as a broadcast producer writing, producing and directing radio and TV commercials and industrial films, earning several industry accolades along the way.
THE RESISTANCE
While details of anticipated Hollywood films are generally kept quiet then strategically leaked by direction of expensive marketing firms and focus group surveys, producers of Project London are taking a more sensible, yet bold approach to promoting the film.
“We want to share the build up of the movie’s release with the fans of Project London and, in turn, let them share their experiences with their friends and so on,” Phil McCoy said. “In fact, we are working on a program that will reward the fans that help spread the word through articles, blogs, etc. by giving them a film credit. It’s a way to involve the people who want to be involved with the film.”
Upon its release, The McCoy Brothers are planning to release the film on iTunes and Netflix, and sell Blu-ray and DVD disks directly from the official movie Web site, projectlondonmovie.com, along with other merchandise and exclusive packages aimed at filmmakers and film lovers. Spiral Productions LLC has also just given creative license to artist Branson Anderson to create a graphic novel based on Hubert’s script of Project London. This will also be available through the Web site.
“I’m totally pumped to see this thing come together!” Hubert exclaimed about Anderson’s novel. “Everything I’ve seen so far has just been brilliant. Branson’s a master of subtlety, but also knows when to bring out the big guns — this is going to be an incredible piece of art, able to stand on its own as an exemplary piece of work in the medium.”
VIZ Media invites fans to catch the last episode of InuYasha: The Final Act scheduled to air on VIZAnime.com today! The finale to the long-running animated adventure saga will be broadcast on the video-streaming site shortly after it airs in Japan. Find out the exciting conclusion to one of the greatest anime series of all time in the installment titled “Toward Tomorrow”!
InuYasha: The Final Act is based on a massively popular manga (also published by VIZ Media, rated “T+” for Older Teens) by famed creator Rumiko Takahashi, who won the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award for the series in 2002. Many of Takahashi’s titles have been adapted into other media such as anime, live-action TV series, and film. The InuYasha anime series has run for 193 episodes in total and has also spawned several feature films.
Pulled back in time to Japan’s ancient past, Japanese high school girl Kagome finds her destiny linked to a dog-like half-demon named InuYasha, who remembers Kagome’s previous incarnation as the woman who killed him — and to the Shikon Jewel, or “Jewel of Four Souls,” which can fulfill the greatest dreams of any man or monster. Now Kagome and InuYasha must work together to search for the scattered shards of the jewel before everyone’s nightmares are given the power they need to come true.
Takahashi’s manga, as well as the other formats her work has been adapted into, have continued to delight generations of fans around the world. Distinguished by her wonderfully endearing characters, Takahashi’s work adeptly incorporates a wide variety of elements such as comedy, romance, fantasy, and martial arts. Rumiko Takahashi is an artist who truly represents the very best from the world of manga. Please visit the official North American web site for all Rumiko Takahashi-related news and information located at TheRumicWorld.com.
VIZAnime.com is a brand new, free-to-use interactive web destination that is the permanent home to some of the company’s best-loved animated series. VIZ Anime is accessible at: VIZAnime.com.
New J!NX Classic Tee: Face Wars
In the old days, people could gauge each other on the merit of their lifetime achievements. A knight could boast of his prowess in battle and show spoils of his conquests. A Pirate had his booty. A farmer had his harvest. Wiseguys kept a tally of all their broken kneecaps. However, now that we are in the age of Digital Faces and Virtual Achievements, how do we determine who is on top? Two words: Cage Match.
VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the cast for the upcoming North American debut of Vampire Knight, the gothic-romance animated series based on the bestselling manga (graphic novel) by Matsuri Hino.
Vampire Knight takes audiences to Cross Academy, which 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!
VIZ Media sought out a cast of talented voice actors and the recording expertise of Bang Zoom! Entertainment to bring this series to life. Yuki Cross, the adoptive daughter of the headmaster of Cross Academy, is played by Mela Lee. Veteran anime voice actor Vic Mignogna plays Zero Kiryu, a student who is a year older than Yuki Cross and comes from a family of vampire hunters. Finally, Kaname Kuran is portrayed by Ethan Murray. In the series, Kuran is a pure blooded vampire and the current Head of the Kuran Clan. He once saved Yuki from an attack by another vampire when she was seven years old and also serves as the president of the Night Class and the dorm leader. Kuran is both feared and respected by the other Night Class students.
“Vampire Knight is an important series that demanded skilled actors who could portray these complex characters without sacrificing any of the intensity and emotional drama each one exudes,” says William Germain, Director, Programming & Music Sales, VIZ Media. “We also know there are a lot of fans of the manga that have been waiting for this series so we wanted to bring in some very talented people who we know will take Vampire Knight to a whole new level. Look for more news coming soon about the North American debut!”
Vampire Knight (rated “T+” for Older Teens) is based on the best selling manga series created by Matsuri Hino, who burst onto the manga scene with her debut title, When This Dream is Over, in LaLa DX magazine. With the success of subsequent series such as Captive Hearts and MeruPuri (both published domestically by VIZ Media), Hino has established herself as a major force in the world of shojo manga. Vampire Knight is currently serialized in LaLa magazine. On January 17, 2010, the latest volume of Vampire Knight, Volume 9, ranked Number 1 on the New York Times Manga Bestseller list. Currently Vampire Knight has two volumes in the top ten.
Marvel’s heroes have seen their darkest days. First, a Civil War pitted friends, teammates, and family against each other. Then an alien race tried to take over the planet. Then a villain actually did. But all that stuff was just a prelude to this — those events have ushered in a new Heroic Age!
Heroes will be heroes again. That doesn’t mean there won’t be struggles. The villains will still be there, doing their thing. The Heroic Age does mark a shift in the overall tone from a dark, bleak outlook to one of optimism. A sort of throwback to classic Marvel comics, if you will.
So get ready for new heroes, new villains, new team rosters, and new series! It’s a new age, and it’s all right here! Check out our Heroic Age page to see all the new series that tie into this new direction for the Marvel Universe.
VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, lets fans quench their desire for stories of the undead with the premiere of the sequel to Akihisa Ikeda’s smash hit manga series Rosario + Vampire. Rosario + Vampire: Season II will be published under the Shonen Jump Advanced imprint and hits stores nationwide on April 6th with a “T+” for Older Teens rating and a MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.
In this action filled series, average teenager Tsukune accidentally enrolled at a boarding school for monsters — no, not jocks or the popular kids, but bona fide werewolves, witches and other unnamable denizens from his wildest nightmares! On the plus side, all of the girls have a major crush on him. But on the negative side, all the boys are so jealous they want to kill him! And so do the girls he spurns, because he only has eyes for one of them — the far-from-average vampire, Moka. Still, on the plus side, Moka only has glowing red eyes for Tsukune. But on the O-negative side, she also has a burning, unquenchable thirst for his blood!
“They’re sexy, they’re undead and unlike any student body you’ll find!” says Elizabeth Kawasaki, VIZ Media Senior Editorial Director. “The popularity of the vampire genre has exploded in the wake of films like Twilight and TV shows like True Blood and The Vampire Diaries, but it’s also long been a favorite subject for manga. Rosario + Vampire: Season II continues to find Tsukune’s life at Yokai Academy anything but normal. Readers will want to hold on tight to the page, and their souls, with this exciting new action comedy release from VIZ Media and Shonen Jump Advanced!”
Creator Akihisa Ikeda debuted in 2002 with the four-volume magical warrior fantasy series Kiruto, which was serialized in Japan in Monthly Shonen Jump magazine, which later went on to feature Rosario + Vampire beginning in March 2004. Rosario + Vampire also spawned an animated series and a drama CD, produced by studio Gonzo.
For more information on this title, or others from VIZ Media, please visit viz.com.
VIZ Media will be releasing the much anticipated final volume, Volume 8, of Naoki Urasawa’s manga masterpiece Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka on April 6th.
Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka is a modern reinterpretation of the work by the master of manga, Osamu Tezuka. In an ideal world where man and robots coexist, someone or something is after the seven great robots of the world. Interpol assigns robot detective Gesicht to this most strange and complex case — and he eventually discovers that he is one of the targets!
In the final volume Atom is back, and the fate of the earth is in his hands! Now that Atom has all the answers to the unsolved mysteries around Pluto, Bora and more, he’s prepared to put everything on the line. With the memory of his fallen brethren — Gesicht, Mont Blanc, North No. 2, Brando, Hercules and Epsilon — etched deeply into his heart, Atom is headed for one last battle to save the world!
Naoki Urasawa’s career as a manga artist spans more than twenty years and has firmly established him as one of the true manga masters of Japan. Born in Tokyo in 1960, Urasawa debuted with Beta!! in 1983 and hasn’t stopped his impressive output since. Well-versed in a variety of genres, Urasawa’s oeuvre encompasses a multitude of different subjects, such as a romantic comedy (Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl), a suspenseful human drama about a former mercenary (Pineapple ARMY; story by Kazuya Kudo), a captivating psychological suspense story (Monster), a sci-fi adventure manga (20th Century Boys) and a modern reinterpretation of the work of Osamu Tezuka (Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka; co-authored with Takashi Nagasaki, supervised by Macoto Tezka, and with the cooperation of Tezuka Productions). Many of his books have spawned popular animated and live-action TV programs and films, and 2008 saw the theatrical release of the first of three live-action Japanese films based on 20th Century Boys.
No stranger to accolades and awards, Urasawa is a three-time recipient of the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award, a two-time recipient of the Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize, and has received the Kodansha Manga Award. Similarly, Monster has been nominated three times for the Eisner Award in America. Urasawa has also become involved in the world of academia. In 2008 he accepted a guest teaching post at Nagoya Zokei University, where he teaches courses in, of course, manga.
Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka is rated “T+” for Older Teens and has a MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $16.99 Canada. For more information on this and other titles from VIZ Media, please visit viz.com.
In a significant news announcement, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has detailed the launch of VIZ Anime — a brand new, free-to-use interactive web destination that will become a permanent home to some of the company’s best-loved animated series as well as new content which will be added on a weekly basis. VIZ Anime is accessible at: VIZAnime.com.
VIZ Anime kicks off with more than 400 episodes from hit series such as Bleach, Buso Renkin, Death Note (complete series), Hikaru no Go, Honey and Clover, InuYasha (complete series) and InuYasha: The Final Act, Nana, Naruto (complete series) and Naruto: Shippuden as well as The Prince of Tennis. The site will also be the future web home for many other eagerly anticipated anime series set to launch later this year!
Episodes can be streamed for free with new ones being added weekly. A variety of interactive social networking tools and features also help foster an official online home and community for VIZ Media anime fans allowing them to connect on and discuss favorite shows, and offer ratings and opinions of various episodes. New functionalities will be added regularly.
Users can “follow” as many series as they like and choose to be notified each time a new episode is released, as well as keep track of the last episode they’ve watched. This makes it easy to stay current on series like InuYasha or Naruto, which feature more than 100 episodes.
Users can comment on individual episodes and also meet and interact with other fans, invite friends to join, ask questions and debate plot twists and characters, voice their opinion on what’s happening in a particular series, and also find out what else is going on across the anime and manga spectrums.
Users can rate their favorite episodes by using a “Like” button on each episode page. They can quickly access a list of all the episodes they’ve similarly liked to compare how other users have liked an episode.
Users can make a personalized profile page to keep track of the episodes they’ve watched and enjoyed, the series they’re currently following, and comments they’ve made. Mail tools can also be used to send private messages between individual users. Privacy controls let users decide what information is shared publicly and who is able to send them messages.
“We’re committed to developing VIZ Anime as a premiere online destination, and hope to offer a real community for VIZ Media fans to interact with each other and share their love of anime,” says Ken Sasaki, Senior Vice President & General Manager of VIZ Media. “We will also utilize the site as a means of two-way communication to better understand what our fans enjoy most and want, and how they engage with anime and manga online. With a lot of content to select from, VIZ Anime will become a favorite site to visit again and again!”
For more information on VIZ Media or VIZ Anime, please visit VIZAnime.com.
