Viz Media

VIZ Media Announces Activities and Convention Exclusives for Anime Expo 2017

Posted on by Lesley Aeschliman

VIZ Media announces special guest appearances, panel discussions, autograph sessions, promotional giveaways and a variety of exclusive and pre-street retail items as part of its participation in Anime Expo 2017.

Anime Expo is the largest dedicated anime/manga fan convention in North America and takes place July 1–4, 2017 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, Ccalifornia. Tickets and full details are available at: Anime-Expo.org. VIZ Media will be located on the main convention floor in Booth #2206.

VIZ Media is excited to welcome Food Wars! manga co-creator Yuto Tsukuda as an Anime Expo Guest of Honor. Catch him live in person for several panel discussions and autograph events throughout the weekend. Attendees are also invited to a series of exciting panel sessions on JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Sailor Moon, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, and Weekly Shonen Jump.

The in-booth VIZ Media retail area (#2206) located in the main hall will offer a variety of Anime Expo convention exclusives. Each purchase comes with a special VIZ Media 2017 exclusive limited edition tote bag offered in three designs. Select from Sailor Moon, Shonen Jump (featuring One-Punch Man and Boruto), or Pokemon themed tote bags. Notable VIZ Media Anime Expo exclusives and presales include:

  • Food Wars! Volume 19 – $10 (latest volume of the series available ahead of street-date)
  • One-Punch Man and One Piece Manga Replicas – $15 each (exclusive from Japan)
  • One-Punch Man Oppai T-Shirt – $20 (exclusive VIZ Media color edition)
  • Sailor Moon Crystal Season III T-Shirt – $15 (2017 exclusive design)

Special Pre-Street & Pre-Order Items:

  • The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords – Legendary Edition – $15
  • Pokemon Adventures 20th Anniversary Illustration Book – $25
  • Vampire Knight: Memories Volume 1 – $10
  • JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Season 1 Blu-ray Set Pre-Order – $65 (pre-Order the set at the VIZ Media booth and receive an exclusive bandana as your gift with purchase)

Special Bundles And Gift With Purchases:

  • One-Punch Man Starter Bundle – $60 (includes One-Punch Man Limited Edition Blu-ray Set and Volume 1 manga; also receive an exclusive Hero Association silvertone metal pin)
  • Boruto Starter Bundle – $32 (includes Boruto: Naruto the Movie Combo Pack and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Volume 1 manga; also receive an exclusive Boruto postcard set)
  • Premium Weekly Shonen Jump Annual Subscription – $30 (includes an exclusive Weekly Shonen Jump hat and Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards, Apprentice Illusion Magician and Galaxy Eyes Cipher Blade Dragon)

Other fun activities taking place at the VIZ Media booth will include:

  • Sailor Moon Crystal Quest for New Power: Help the Sailor Guardians on their quest and win a special prize from Sailor Moon herself
  • One-Punch Man – What Hero Rank Are You?: Find out your Hero Association Rank
  • Manga sampler, poster and postcard giveaways: Stop by the VIZ Media booth’s front desk for a variety of freebies

VIZ Media Anime Expo Panels & Special Events Include:

Saturday, July 1, 2017

1:30pm – 2:30pm VIZ Media Panel (Petree Hall / Room LP1)
Don’t miss it! Catch special announcements, exclusive first looks, and prizes.

4:00pm Yuto Tsukuda Autograph Session (Anime Expo Autograph Signing Area)
Meet Food Wars! co-creator Yuto Tsukuda and receive a personally signed shikishi art board. For more information, please visit: Anime-Expo.org/how-to-get-an-autograph.

6:30pm – 7:30pm WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP Official Panel (LACC Room 408AB / Room LP3)
Find out about the latest developments on new Shonen Jump series, fan favorites, and special guest, Yuto Tsukuda.

Sunday, July 2, 2017

11:20am Yuto Tsukuda Autograph Session (Anime Expo Autograph Signing Area)
An encore opportunity to meet Yuto Tsukuda, and receive a personalized shikishi art board.

2:30pm – 4:00pm VIZ Media FOOD WARS Panel (LACC Room 408AB / Room LP3)
Join VIZ Media and Warner Bros. Japan in welcoming the co-creator of the saucy culinary manga Food Wars! Tsukuda Sensei, along with his Japanese and English editors, will discuss the creative process behind the hit series.

5:00pm JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE Cast Signing (VIZ Media Booth #2206)
Meet English Voice Actors Patrick Seitz (Dio) and Matt Mercer (Jotaro) from the legendary series’ Season 2, Stardust Crusaders and get a signed poster.

7:30pm – 9:00pm JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE Official Panel (Room LP1 / Petree Hall)
Join the voice cast of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure for a celebration of this epic series with special guests and surprises.

Monday, July 3, 2017

11:00am – 1:00pm SAILOR MOON Official Panel (Room LP1 / Petree Hall)
Join many members from the staff and cast of Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon Crystal for a festive time filled with news and updates from everyone’s favorite Guardians of Love and Justice.

11:30am Yuto Tsukuda Autograph Session (Kinokuniya Anime Expo Booth #3700)
This signing event will be limited to the first 100 customers that purchase a VIZ Media Food Wars! manga at the Kinokuniya booth during Anime Expo. Please see the Kinokuniya booth for more information.

2:00pm SAILOR MOON Voice Cast Autograph Session (Anime Expo Autograph Signing Area)
Don’t miss the chance to meet the English voice cast of Sailor Moon. The first 100 people will receive a signed personalized poster.

5:30pm Yuto Tsukuda Autograph Session (Barnes & Noble at The Grove)
This off-site signing will be limited to the first 100 customers that purchase a Food Wars! manga title at the Grove location on July 3, 2017. Contact the store directly for more information. **Note – this appearance is not affiliated with Anime Expo.

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

1:00pm – 2:00pm SHONEN JUMP Presents BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS Official Panel (Room LP3 / LACC 408AB)
Meet the English voice cast of the hit film, Boruto: Naruto the Movie. We’ll be talking about the movie, manga and the all-new TV series streaming each week on VIZ.com.

VIZ Media Announces Home Media Release of Sailor Moon S Part 2

Posted on by Lesley Aeschliman

VIZ Media invites Sailor Moon and anime fans to dive into the latest episodes available on home media with the release of Sailor Moon S Part 2 on June 20, 2017.

This set features the much anticipated second-half of Season 3, Episodes 109-127, of the classic anime series based on Naoko Takeuchi’s original Sailor Moon manga series. Sailor Moon S Part 2 will be available as a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack as well as a Standard Edition DVD only set.

Fans that order Sailor Moon S Part 2 from RightStufAnime.com will receive a special set of ten art cards while supplies last.

In the latest episodes, Sailor Uranus and Neptune’s search for the three talismans has led them to become targets of the Witches 5, the Death Busters’ beautiful and deadly agents, who also seeks the talismans to summon the powerful Holy Grail. Now, Sailor Moon and the other Sailor Guardians are on a race against time to save their friends’ lives, and to prevent the power of the Holy Grail from falling into the wrong hands. Meanwhile, Chibi-Usa befriends a young girl named Hotaru, whose mysterious power quickly attracts the attention from both friend and foe. Is there a connection between Hotaru and the enemy? And who is the Messiah of Silence that is said to bring destruction? Will Sailor Moon’s new power be enough to protect the world from the coming Apocalypse?

The Sailor Moon S Part 2 Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack will carry an MSRP of $69.99 U.S. / $81.99 CAN; the Standard Edition DVD set will carry an MSRP of $39.99 U.S. / $52.99 CAN.

The Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack features three Blu-ray discs, three DVDs and special features including clean opening and closing segments, a digital art gallery, English voice cast interviews and official series trailers.

The Standard Edition DVD Set features three discs, clean opening and closing segments and official series trailers.

Fans are also invited to enjoy the classic Sailor Moon and the all-new Sailor Moon Crystal anime series, which are available from VIZ Media on Blu-ray/DVD Combo Packs as well as multi-disc Standard Edition DVD sets. VIZ Media also recently released the home media edition of Sailor Moon R: The Movie.

VIZ Media Announces Exciting Events for Food Wars! Manga Co-Creator Yuto Tsukuda at Anime Expo 2017

Posted on by Lesley Aeschliman

VIZ Media welcomes Yuto Tsukuda as an official Guest of Honor at Anime Expo 2017 and announces special panel and signing events throughout the convention.

Yuto Tsukuda is the writer and co-creator of the bestselling Weekly Shonen Jump manga series Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma. This saucy, action-packed food comedy is Tsukuda Sensei’s first work to be released in English and is published in digital and print editions by VIZ Media (rated “T+” for Older Teens).

The writer will make his first North American professional appearance in a pair of panel discussions taking place during Anime Expo. Tsukuda Sensei will also appear for several autograph sessions both on-site during the convention as well as at the Barnes & Noble located at The Grove in Los Angeles.

Anime Expo is the largest dedicated anime/manga fan convention in North America and takes place July 1–4, 2017 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. Tickets and full details are available at: Anime-Expo.org. VIZ Media will be located on the main convention floor in Booth #2206.

Yuto Tsukuda VIZ Media/Anime Expo Panels & Special Events Include:

Saturday, July 1, 2017

6:30pm – 7:30pm WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP Official Panel
LACC Room 408AB / Room LP-3

Hang out with the English-language editors of the world’s most popular manga. We’ve got exciting news about the latest developments on new series, all-time fan favorites, and what we’re doing to bring you the world’s best manga. We’ll also have amazing prizes up for grabs. Plus special guest, Yuto Tsukuda, co-creator of Food Wars! Don’t miss it.

TBD Time Yuto Tsukuda Autograph Session
Anime Expo Autograph Signing Area

Don’t miss the chance to meet Food Wars! co-creator Yuto Tsukuda and receive a personally signed shikishi art board. Attendees must pick up an autograph ticket prior to the session at the Anime Expo Autograph Ticket Booth on the day of the appearance. For more information, please visit: Anime-Expo.org/how-to-get-an-autograph.

Sunday, July 2, 2017

2:30pm – 4pm FOOD WARS! Panel
LACC Room 408AB / Room LP-3

Join Warner Bros. Japan and VIZ Media in welcoming the co-creator of the saucy culinary manga Food Wars! Tsukuda Sensei, along with his Japanese and English editors, will discuss the creative process behind the hit series. This is a special opportunity to get a taste of what goes into creating the spiciness that is Food Wars!

TBD Time Yuto Tsukuda Autograph Session
Anime Expo Autograph Signing Area

Fans will have an encore opportunity to meet Yuto Tsukuda and receive a personalized shikishi art board! Attendees must pick up an autograph ticket prior to the session at the Anime Expo Autograph Ticket Booth on the day of the appearance. For more information, please visit: Anime-Expo.org/how-to-get-an-autograph.

Additional Yuto Tsukuda Special Events Include:

Monday, July 3, 2014

11:30am Yuto Tsukuda Autograph Session
Kinokuniya Anime Expo Booth #3700

This signing event will be limited to the first 100 customers that purchase a VIZ Media Food Wars! manga at the Kinokuniya booth during Anime Expo. Qualified purchasers will receive a ticket for a guaranteed spot to meet the author at his Kinokuniya autograph session. Signing session attendees may choose either to have their purchased manga signed by Yuto Tsukuda, or have a shikishi art board (provided by VIZ Media) signed.

5:30pm Yuto Tsukuda Autograph Session
Barnes & Noble at The Grove
189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90036

This off-site signing will be limited to the first 100 customers that purchase a Food Wars! manga volume at the Grove location on July 3, 2017. Qualified purchasers will receive a wristband for a guaranteed spot to meet the author at the Barnes & Noble autograph session. Signing session attendees may choose either to have their purchased manga signed by Yuto Tsukuda, or have a shikishi art board (provided by VIZ Media) signed. **Note – this appearance is not affiliated with Anime Expo.

Stop by the VIZ Media booth (#2206), located in the Anime Expo Main Hall, to browse Food Wars! manga including:

  • Food Wars! Volumes 1-2 Bundle – $15 (Snap up the first two volumes of the series in a specially priced bundle)
  • Food Wars! Volume 19 – $10 (Get a taste the series’ latest volume ahead of its street date)

Also stop by the VIZ Media booth for giveaways of special Food Wars!-themed chopsticks.

Yuto Tsukuda won the 34th Jump Juniketsu Newcomers’ Manga Award for his one-shot story Kiba ni Naru. He made his Weekly Shonen Jump debut in 2010 with the series, Shonen Shikku. His follow-up series, Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, is his first title with an English-language release.

Yaoi Manga Publisher SuBLime Announces the Return of the Finder Manga Series

Posted on by Lesley Aeschliman

SuBLime, the leading global English-language yaoi manga publisher, announces a special re-release of internationally bestselling creator Ayano Yamane’s erotic underworld thriller Finder.

Finder is rated “M” for Mature Readers and is releasing in print and digital formats. Volume 1 of the series will release on June 13, 2017, with each subsequent volume releasing every other month until caught up with current volumes. The latest never-before-published volume of the series (Volume 8) is already available for purchase through SuBLime. Each volume of this series is a deluxe edition containing a double-sided foldout color poster, a bonus manga story never before published in English, a special cover treatment, and a brand-new translation.

Print editions will carry an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $19.99 CAN each. The digital versions will carry an MSRP of $6.99 U.S. Readers have two methods of digital access to the volumes on SuBLimeManga.com – via a DRM-free downloadable PDF, viewable on any enabled eReader device and computer, as well as via the online manga viewer. Readers can also purchase a digital version through the NOOK, Kindle and Kobo eReaders.

In Finder, freelance photographer Akihito Takaba takes on a risky assignment trying to document the illegal activities of the Japanese underworld. When he captures its leader – the handsome, enigmatic crime lord Ryuichi Asami – in the crosshairs of his viewfinder, Takaba’s world is changed forever. The older man ravages him, both body and mind. Does this mean the end for the naive photographer, or will he live to shoot another day?

“SuBLime’s re-release of Finder presents the series in a fresh new way to fans, with brand-new translations and the addition of beautiful, full-color foldout double-sided posters and special bonus manga content,” says SuBLime Editor, Jennifer LeBlanc. “We look forward to publishing all of the earlier volumes of Finder as well as future volumes of the series for the enjoyment of both new and veteran readers alike!”

Ayano Yamane is one of Japan’s most popular boys’ love manga creators and also created the notable series, A Foreign Love Affair and Crimson Spell. She has also published several doujinshi (independent comics) under the circle name, GUN MANIA.

Visit SuBLimeManga.com for a complete array of additional yaoi manga titles that are available digitally in a download-to-own format for $5.99 (U.S. / CAN) each and are viewable as a PDF on any enabled eReader device or computer or accessed via the online manga viewer found on the web site.

VIZ Media Details New Digital Manga Updates for June 2017

Posted on by Lesley Aeschliman

VIZ Media announces digital manga updates for June 2017 highlighted by several notable new series.

Readers will not want to miss June’s selection of new titles that includes Manga in Theory and Practice: The Craft of Creating Manga by the famed creator of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, as well as the first volume of the coming-of-age urban drama, After Hours. The historical action-packed adventure series, Golden Kamuy, and an endearing tale about a high school girl and her pet penguin in The Emperor and I also debut this month.

Readers are also invited to take advantage of special digital pricing on a variety of manga series from celebrated creators. Each week throughout the month, the entire series run of a creator’s works will be available for discounted prices. Starting on June 13, 2017, catch the entire VIZ Media catalog for Inio Asano at special pricing.

Creator Spotlight Sale

Celebrate a variety of classic and fan-loved manga titles from your favorite creators all month.

  • Inio Asano Spotlight Sale: All volumes of Ono’s series, Goodnight Punpun, Solanin, and What a Wonderful World are on sale for $2 off per volume. Available June 13-19, 2017 across all digital platforms.

Check VIZ.com each week throughout the rest of June for additional creators’ titles to be featured in this month’s digital sales.

WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP Updates

Check out Shonen Jump’s free section for the latest new additions including Death Note, Bakuman。 and Hikaru no Go. Read Free Chapters of popular Weekly Shonen Jump series at: www.viz.com/shonenjump/chapters/all.

Free chapters are available now for the following series:

  • Astra Lost in Space
  • Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
  • Dragon Ball Super
  • Hunter X Hunter
  • My Hero Academia
  • RobotXLaserbeam
  • and more

Digital manga updates for June 2017 also include new volumes for 18 continuing VIZ Media series. Notable new additions include Assassination Classroom (Volume 16), Black Clover (Volume 7), Dorohedoro (Volume 21), Food Wars! (Volume 18), Goodnight Punpun (Volume 6), Seraph of the End (Volume 12), and a special digital first release of Platinum End (Volume 3). New shojo manga updates include Bloody Mary (Volume 7), Everyone’s Getting Married (Volume 5), Kamisama Kiss (Volume 24), So Cute It Hurts!! (Volume 13) and Yona of the Dawn (Volume 6).

VIZ Media Launches the Award Winning Manga Series Golden Kamuy

Posted on by Lesley Aeschliman

VIZ Media announces the forthcoming launch of the acclaimed manga series Golden Kamuy on June 20, 2017.

The series debuts in print under the VIZ Signature imprint, is rated “M” for Mature Readers, and will carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $17.99 CAN. Future volumes of Golden Kamuy, which is ongoing in Japan, will be published in English by VIZ Media on a quarterly basis.

In the early 20th century, Russo-Japanese War veteran Saichi Sugimoto searches the wilderness of the Japanese frontier of Hokkaido for a hoard of hidden gold. With only a cryptic map and a native Ainu girl to help him, Saichi must also deal with every murderous cutthroat, bandit and rogue who knows about the treasure.

Golden Kamuy was the winner of the 2016 Manga Taisho Award and was nominated for the 40th Annual Kodansha Manga Award.

“Manga fans and history buffs will appreciate the historical aspects of Golden Kamuy. Set in Japan’s wild and dangerous northern frontier in the early 20th century, the series also integrates an accurate portrayal of the lives and culture of the Ainu, the indigenous people of the region,” says Michael Montesa, Editor. “Don’t miss the launch of this extraordinary new series this summer!”

VIZ Media Launches New Manga Series After Hours

Posted on by Lesley Aeschliman

VIZ Media presents a refreshing modern romance between two women that defy the stereotypes and clichés of the “yuri,” or “girls’ love,” genre with the launch of After Hours on June 13, 2017.

The manga series, created by Yuhta Nishio, is rated “T+” for Older Teens and will carry a print MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. The series also launches digitally on June 13, 2017 via VIZ.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the NOOK, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology and Google Play stores.

In After Hours, Emi Ashiana is 24, unemployed and not really sure what she wants do with her life. When a friend invites her to a dance club, Emi doesn’t expect much. But when she meets vivacious DJ Kei, whole new avenues of passion and purpose open up to her.

“After Hours is a lively, heartfelt story set amidst Tokyo’s club scene about queer young women coming into their own,” says Pancha Diaz, Editor. “The series presents a wonderful entry point for Western readers as well as veteran manga fans to explore ‘yuri’ or ‘girls love’ manga with relatable characters and a very socially relevant storyline.”

Yuhta Nishio is a manga creator, illustrator and sometimes painter. His debut manga, Irikachi, started in IKKI magazine in 2014. His other manga series include Diorama Crew and Domuun. His artwork has appeared in the gallery shows KAI-YOU Presents Sekai to Asobu!, Hyakaten and A Nightmare Is a Dream Come True: Anime Expressionist Painting.