VIZ Media Announces Six New Digital Manga Titles for September 2015

START FALL OFF FRESH WITH NEW SEPTEMBER DIGITAL MANGA UPDATES FROM VIZ MEDIA

Catch The Launch Of 6 New Manga Series With Updates To 22 Other Popular Titles And New Digital Bundle Selections

VIZ Media offers manga (graphic novel) fans plenty of fresh options to start their fall reading fun as the company announces a brand new digital update for September. This month will see the digital debut of 4 notable series along with the latest additions to scores of continuing titles and new selections for bundled manga packages that will be made available at substantial savings over the regular individual digital MSRPs.

New series digital debuts for the month include love and laughs in KOMOMO CONFISERIE and CHOCOLATE COSMOS, harem hijinks in GUARDIAN HEARTS and SABER MARIONETTE J along with the one-shot fun of RIZELMINE and the action series launch of CLAMP SCHOOL DETECTIVES, which are all available as digital exclusives from VIZ Media.

The company’s Digital Manga Bundle Promotion also continues throughout September and offers manga readers specially curated selections each containing multiple full volumes from critically acclaimed and legacy titles. The latest manga bundle selections feature KEKKAISHI, PSYREN and WORLD TRIGGER and are available to readers for a limited time exclusively from VIZManga.com and through the comiXology platform.

Other important updates for September include new digital additions for 22 other continuing VIZ Media series. Included in this update are not-to-be-missed volumes for shojo series such as KISS OF THE ROSE PRINCESS (Vol. 6), TOKYO BOYS AND GIRLS (Vol. 2) and SKIP BEAT (Vol. 35), along with new installments for sci-fi and action-oriented series such as SAMURAI GIRL REAL BOUT HIGH SCHOOL (Vol. 3), SERAPH OF THE END (Vol. 6), SGT FROG (Vol. 17), and YU-GI-OH! ZEXAL (Vol. 7). Manga series receiving their concluding volumes this month will include the finales for GRENADIER (Vols. 6 & 7) and GIRLS BRAVO.

New September 2015 Digital Manga Series Debuts:

KOMOMO CONFISERIE, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · DIGITAL MSRP: $6.99 (U.S. / CAN) · Available Now

As a little girl, Komomo Ninomiya delighted in picking on Natsu Azumi, the son of her family’s pastry chef. Ten years later, when the family fortune is lost and she has no place to live, Komomo encounters Natsu again in her hour of need. Now that Natsu is a master pastry chef in his own right, he’ll help Komomo – but only if she works for him at his new confiserie!

RIZELMINE (One-Shot) · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · DIGITAL MSRP: $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) · Available September 8th!

15-year-old Iwaki Tomonori is in for a surprise when he returns home one day to find the government has married him to the first genetically engineered human, Rizelmine!

GUARDIAN HEARTS, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T +’ for Older Teens · DIGITAL MSRP: $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) · Available September 15th

Beautiful girls with superpowers...all in love with you! What more could a guy want?!

CHOCOLATE COSMOS, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · DIGITAL MSRP: $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) · Available September 22nd

Fifteen-year old Sayuki Sakurai is a girly-girl at heart, but her sharp tongue and equally sharp gaze send most boys running! Determined to nab herself a hot summer romance during the holidays, Sayuki visits the beach and meets a cute guy who cheers her up after an awkward situation. She returns to school with confidence and as luck would have it... that cute guy is her Home Economics teacher! Dodging what love and life have in store, Sayuki is in for one roller coaster of a school year...

CLAMP SCHOOL DETECTIVES, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘A’ for All Ages · DIGITAL MSRP: $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) · Available September 22nd

Welcome to the CLAMP School, Japan's most prestigious place of learning--home to prodigies, wunderkinds and young geniuses of every make and model. In a world where the average student is smarter than the teachers, how then can the top students challenge their intellects? Why by creating a detective service, of course!

SABER MARIONETTE J, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · DIGITAL MSRP: $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) · Available September 29th

On a world without women, the surviving men have fashioned curvaceous androids in the female form. Called Marionettes, they are built for one purpose--to obey man's every whim...except one.

Readers can enjoy all of these new manga titles that are available on VIZManga.com and the VIZ MANGA App for the iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch, Android-powered smart phones and tablets. The titles also may be purchased through the Nook, Kindle, Kobo, comiXology, iBooks and GooglePlay stores. These dynamic digital platforms offer fans the opportunity to explore and enjoy a massive catalog of new and classic manga titles that spans over 2,700 volumes across more than 235 different series.

The free VIZ Manga App continues to be the top application for reading digital manga and features a massive library of the most popular series in the world. Through the innovative VIZ Manga digital platform registered users are able to use one account to view their purchased manga across more devices than ever. New series and volumes are added every Tuesday. Fans can also find these titles and more for the NOOK, Kindle Fire, and Kobo eReaders, as well as in the comiXology, iBooks and Google Play Stores.

Most manga volumes are available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada within the VIZ Manga application starting from only $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) each. Readers can also explore free Chapter 1 previews of every series. For more information, please visit VIZManga.com or www.VIZ.com/apps.

To learn more about VIZ Manga, please visit www.vizmanga.com.

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"Force Friday" Awakens with Star Wars Products

Fans Awaken for ‘Force Friday’

More than 3,000 retail locations in the U.S. open at midnight to celebrate new ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ products

GLENDALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Merchandise inspired by the highly anticipated new movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens launched at retailers around the globe as ‘Force Friday’ officially got underway. Hot off the heels of the 18+ hour global live unboxing event on YouTube where highlights of the new product range were officially unveiled, the celebration continued as more than 3,000 retail locations in the U.S. opened their doors at midnight for fans to be among the first to discover new Star Wars products.

    “We’ve been working closely with the filmmakers to bring the characters and storylines from Star Wars: The Force Awakens to life through an exciting array of products, and we’re thrilled to share them with fans around the world”

“We’ve been working closely with the filmmakers to bring the characters and storylines from Star Wars: The Force Awakens to life through an exciting array of products, and we’re thrilled to share them with fans around the world,” said Leslie Ferraro, Co-Chair, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media and President, Disney Consumer Products.

Starting in Sydney and ending at Lucasfilm headquarters in San Francisco, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media hosted an epic global live event to unveil key Star Wars: The Force Awakens products. Fans who tuned in to the Star Wars YouTube page were able to see the following toys unboxed by top digital stars from the Maker Studios network:

•     Sydney: Star Wars BladeBuilders Jedi Master Lightsaber toy from Hasbro
•     Tokyo: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Big Figs (31” and 48”) from JAKKS Pacific
•     Hong Kong: Hot Wheels® Star Wars character car assortment and Escape from Jakku™ Starship playset from Mattel
•     Seoul: LEGO Star Wars Poe’s X-Wing Fighter™
•     Paris: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Kylo Ren Lightsaber, a Disney Store exclusive
•     Madrid: Star Wars Micro Machines First Order Star Destroyer from Hasbro
•     Berlin: LEGO Star Wars Kylo Ren’s Command Shuttle™
•     London: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Elite Series die-cast figure assortment, a Disney Store exclusive
•     Rio de Janeiro: Star Wars Black Series 6” figure assortment from Hasbro
•     ‘Good Morning America’ (New York): LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon™ and Star Wars BB-8 from Sphero
•     Toronto: Star Wars Remote Controlled Millennium Falcon Quad and X-Wing Starfighter from Air Hogs, Spin Master
•     Chicago: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Role Play for kids exclusive to Disney Store
•     Mexico City: Star Wars First Order Stormtrooper Deluxe NERF Blaster from Hasbro
•     San Francisco: Star Wars Battle Action Millennium Falcon from Hasbro
•     Los Angeles: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Poe Dameron’s X-Wing Vehicle from Hasbro

Additionally, fans tuning in to watch ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ on ABC were treated to a fun product reveal with Jimmy and his security guard sidekick Guillermo, showcasing Star Wars: The Force Awakens Voice Changing Masks exclusive to Disney Store.

Beyond lightsabers, construction sets, figures and collectibles, fans can find products across a wide variety of categories, including apparel for all members of the family, home décor, lifestyle accessories, books and more. New Star Wars products can be found around the world at mass and specialty retailers, such as Amazon.com, Kohl’s, Target, Toys “R” Us and Walmart, as well as Disney Store and disneystore.com.

Highlights from the merchandise line found in the U.S. include:

•     A large collection of exclusive merchandise from Disney Store including role play items, talking action figures and figure play sets, along with themed apparel, tech accessories, mugs, journals and more
•     J. Crew apparel for men, women and kids featuring the fan-favorite “Chewie, we’re home” scene of Chewbacca and Han Solo from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer
•     A Star Wars collection of Rock & Republic® misses apparel and Mighty Fine juniors apparel offers female fans graphic tees, leggings, sweatshirts, hoodies and dresses available at Kohl’s
•     The ultimate Millennium Falcon children’s bed from Pottery Barn Kids, looking like something seen from a galaxy far, far away
•     A villainous take on home merchandise featuring new characters from the Dark Side, such as First Order Stormtroopers and Kylo Ren available at JCPenney

To preserve the integrity of key movie moments, an additional wave of products will be released closer to the film’s debut, when fans will be able to find additional items featuring the newest characters, including Rey, Finn, Kylo Ren, Captain Phasma, BB-8 and more. On December 18, 2015 a Play Set based on Star Wars: The Force Awakens will become available for Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition, the latest installment of the best-selling “toys-to-life” video game from Disney Interactive.

To download images of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens product collection, please visit http://www.image.net/starwars_dcpunboxing.

To view b-roll and video highlights from midnight retail events and the global live unboxings, please visit: https://www.epk.tv/view/#/campaign/star-wars-dom/force-friday-global-toy-unboxing

STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.


About Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media
Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media (DCPI) is the business segment of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) that brings our company's stories and characters to life through innovative and engaging physical products and digital experiences across more than 100 categories, from toys and t-shirts, to apps and console games. DCPI comprises two main lines of business: Disney Consumer Products (DCP), and Disney Interactive (DI). The combined segment is home to world class teams of app and game developers, licensing and retail experts, a leading retail business (Disney Store), artists and storytellers, and technologists who inspire imaginations around the world.

About Lucasfilm Ltd.
Lucasfilm Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is a global leader in film, television and digital entertainment production. In addition to its motion-picture and television production, the company's activities include visual effects and audio post-production, cutting-edge digital animation, interactive entertainment software, and the management of the global merchandising activities for its entertainment properties including the legendary STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES franchises. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in northern California.

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Titan Comics Announces Garth Ennis' "Johnny Red"

Legendary Preacher Writer Garth Ennis​ ​Penning Brand-New Johnny Red series

DEBUT ISSUE COMES WITH VARIANT COVER BY JUDGE DREDD CO-CREATOR CARLOS EZQUERRA

Titan Comics ​is​ thrilled to announce a brand-new Johnny Red series written by Garth Ennis (Preacher) with art by Keith Burns.

​Hitting stores November 4, 2015 t​he explosive new series features original adventures of the fighter ace who thrilled millions and rocketed to status as a classic British comic character in the pages of legendary combat comic Battle, bringing World War II to incendiary life in the finest air warfare stories ever told! Ennis and artist Keith Burns are diving right back into the thick of the period action to present the character to a contemporary audience.

Legendary British fighter ace, Johnny "Red" Redburn, returns once more as the commander of the Falcons – a Russian fighter squadron battling the Nazis in the skies over Stalingrad. But dogfighting Messerschmitts is about to become the least of his troubles when the NVKD – the notorious Soviet secret police – come calling.   

"Johnny Red achieves a level of historical detail that I still find remarkable today," said Ennis. "Johnny's story is not just one of my favorites but a British comics classic!"

​Issue #1 comes with three covers to collect: an art cover by series artist Keith Burns​ (order code: SEP151621), a variant art cover by Carlos Ezquerra (order code:​ ​SEP15162​2​)​ and a blank sketch cover (order code: SEP15162​3​)

Johnny Red #1 ​will be available in stores and ​on ​digital devices from November 4, 2015.

For more information ​about Titan Comics visit:​ http://titan-comics.com/

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The Force is Strong with Kay Jewelers

The Force is Strong with Kay® Jewelers as it Launches the Star Wars(TM) Collection

AKRON, Ohio /PRNewswire/ -- Kay® Jewelers, the number one jewelry store in America, is bringing one of the most popular film franchises of all-time to guests with the launch of the Star Wars(TM) collection. Available at Kay® Jewelers stores nationwide and online at Kay.com beginning Friday, September 4th, 2015, the Star Wars collection is being introduced as part of the popular Charmed Memories® collection, which features hand crafted charms that allow guests to celebrate special moments, interests and passions.

The collection features some of the most popular Star Wars characters, including Darth Vader, R2-D2 and the storm troopers, as well as iconic quotes and themes from the films on stylish charms that can be combined to create a unique bracelet or added to an existing one to reflect one's fandom of the film series. While launching as part of Charmed Memories®, the Star Wars collection will be expanding into other fine jewelry categories at Kay® later this year.

"Star Wars is one of the most beloved brands of all-time and we are thrilled to be able to bring it to the fine jewelry category," said Stuart Lee, executive vice president, merchandising, Kay® Jewelers. "One of the most exciting things for us in launching this program was the unique challenge of offering a collection that the fans, who are so knowledgeable and passionate, will truly appreciate. We are confident that we did just that with this collection and we can't wait to share all of the exciting news we will have as we expand the program moving forward." 

In support of the global Force Friday celebration on Friday, September 4th, commemorating the launch of new Star Wars toys, collectibles, books and apparel at major retailers worldwide, Kay® Jewelers will be introducing some exciting activities across its social media channels that no Star Wars fan will want to miss. Fans can check out Kay® Jewelers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.


About Kay® Jewelers
Kay® Jewelers, the number one jewelry store in America, is conveniently located in malls and off-mall shopping centers across the country. Kay® Jewelers is operated by Signet Jewelers Limited, the world's largest retailer of diamond jewelry. Signet Jewelers operates Kay® Jewelers among its approximately 3,600 stores. For additional information on Kay® Jewelers visit www.Kay.com, follow us on Facebook® (www.facebook.com/KayJewelers), Twitter® (www.twitter.com/KayJewelers), YouTube (www.youtube.com/KayJewelers), Pinterest (www.pinterest.com/KayJewelers) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/KayJewelers).

STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © & (TM) Lucasfilm Ltd.

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Review: "Transporter 2" Offers Good Fight Scenes, Little Else

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 141 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Transporter 2 (2005)
Running time:  88 minutes (1 hour, 28 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violent action, sexual content, partial nudity, and brief language
DIRECTOR:  Louis Leterrier
WRITERS:  Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen (based upon characters created by Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen )
PRODUCERS:  Steve Chasman and Luc Besson
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Mitchell Amundsen
EDITOR:  Walter Mauriot, Christine Lucas Navarro, and Vincent Tabaillon
COMPOSER: Alexandre Azaria

ACTION/MARTIAL ARTS/THRILLER

Starring:  Jason Statham, Alessandro Gassman, Amber Valletta, Katie Nauta, Matthew Modine, Jason Flemyng, Keith David, Hunter Clary, Shannon Briggs, François Berléand, and Raymond Tong

Transporter 2 is a 2005 French action thriller from director Louis Leterrier and maestro Luc Besson and stars Jason Statham in the title role.  It is a sequel to the 2002 film, The Transporter.  In Transporter 2, mercenary Frank Martin is in Miami, Florida where he is implicated in the kidnapping of  the young son of a powerful U.S. government official

Transporter 2 is set in Miami, Florida.  There, ex-Special Forces operative, Frank Martin (Jason Statham), lives in retirement, but is still providing services as a transporter.  Martin is a professional driver with almost-supernatural driving skills in a supa dupa car who can transport anyone or anything – no questions asked.  For the past month, Frank has been the driver for the wealthy Billings family, driving young Jack Billings (Hunter Clary) back and forth to school.

When Gianni (Alessandro Gassman), a powerful gun-for-hire and criminal operative, has Jack kidnapped, Frank rushes to the rescue.  However, Jack has been injected with a deadly virus as a ploy to poison his father, Jefferson Billings (Matthew Modine), and in turn spread the deadly virus, killing Mr. Billings’ government and business associates.  Frank defies and eludes the FBI, who believes that he is behind the plot, while he tries to uncover Gianni’s master plan and stop a disastrous epidemic.

There was no reason for a sequel to 2002’s The Transporter, other than that it was an international box office hit.  Transporter 2 is not as good as the first, mainly because the original had Frank Martin in a romantic entanglement that was the humanizing element of the film against its manic martial arts-inspired fight sequences and unrelenting gun violence.  Corey Yuen, the director of the first film, is back for Transporter 2 only as the fight choreographer, and while his successor, Louis Leterrier, benefits from Yuen’s work on the fight scenes, Leterrier didn’t inherit anything else from the original.  Thus, Transporter 2’s fight sequences are excellent in keeping with the spirit of The Transporter, but there just ain’t no soul.  I was only mildly entertained with this as a movie, but I bet electronic games fans would get a kick out of this as a video game.  We shouldn’t buy tickets to the cinema to see a flick and get instead a video game.  The child character, Jack Billings, could have been the soul of this film, they way the love interest was in the original, but Jack is just the object that starts the ball rolling towards a series of violent, supernatural, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon/Hero martial arts fight scenes.

Jason Statham has a nice film personality, but this time he wears Frank Martin as if he’s just a video game character and Transporter 2 is just the latest installment in a video game franchise.  If you waited to see the first film on home video, it would only be right to wait for Transporter 2 on DVD and home video, as it is inferior and should not be honored with the movie ticket purchase you didn’t give the first film.  This might sound nerdy and pretentious, but Transporter 2 is a pedestrian fight movie with great fights, but the kind of story that shows up in made-for-cable action movies.

5 of 10
C+

Revised: Thursday, September 3, 2015


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint syndication rights and fees.

VIZ Media Joins Wizards of the Coast for "Magic: The Gathering Art Book"

WIZARDS OF THE COAST AND VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCE MAGIC: THE GATHERING ART BOOK

SEATTLE, WA—Wizards of the Coast and VIZ Media announced The Art of Magic: The Gathering—Zendikar, an art book featuring images from popular strategy card game Magic: The Gathering. Available worldwide in January 2016, the 240-page book will feature full color illustrations from some of Magic's best artists, such as Aleksi Briclot and Adam Paquette, as well as in-depth lore written by best-selling author James Wyatt.

Throughout its 22-year history, Magic: The Gathering has visited many richly imaginative worlds through card sets and stories. In its upcoming set, Battle for Zendikar (www.BattleForZendikar.com), Magic returns to the fan-favorite world of Zendikar, where united tribes of elves, vampires, and humans battle the monstrous Eldrazi across strange floating ruins and beautiful landscapes. The Battle for Zendikar card set launches on October 2, 2015.

"Magic: The Gathering has a rich history of bringing our fans and players the best fantasy art in the industry," said Elaine Chase, Senior Director of Global Brand Strategy and Marketing for Magic: The Gathering. "We are excited to bring work from some of Magic's most amazing artists to our fans in a new medium."

"We are very excited to help bring the art and story of Magic: The Gathering to more fans with this art book for the game," said Beth Kawasaki, Senior Editorial Director, VIZ Media. "The Art of Magic: The Gathering—Zendikar is a beautifully illustrated edition that immerses you in the exotic world of Zendikar's ancient ruins and strange inhabitants. We worked hand-in-hand with the Wizards of the Coast creative team to create the best art book imaginable, which we're sure every Magic fan will covet."

The Art of Magic: The Gathering—Zendikar will be available for pre-order at many retailers starting as early as September 1, and will be available at Amazon.com and retail and hobby gaming stores world-wide starting January 5, 2016.


About Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering is the world's best strategy game, with more than 20 million players and fans worldwide. In this innovative card game, players build personalized decks using cards they have collected from booster packs and by trading with friends. Magic offers a robust gaming experience for its community of passionate fans through face-to-face play events and social gatherings in more than 7,000 hobby game stores around the world, complemented by its Magic Duels and Magic Online digital games. For more information, visit MagicTheGathering.com.

About Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast LLC, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS), is the leader in entertaining the lifestyle gamer. Wizards offers players and fans immersive digital and tabletop gaming experiences through its global brands MAGIC: THE GATHERING, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, DUEL MASTERS and AVALON HILL. Wizards’ games help bring friends, families and communities together through shared imaginative play. Wizards also publishes a fantasy fiction series with numerous New York Times best-sellers. For more information please visit the website at www.Wizards.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets, and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies—Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd.—VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English-speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology Weekly Shonen Jump and blockbuster properties like Naruto, Bleach, and Inuyasha, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance, and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction, and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video, and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

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Ten Finalists Vie to Be Naruto's "Hokage for a Day" Contest

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES HOKAGE FOR A DAY TOP 10 VIDEO CONTEST ENTRIES

Fans Invited To Vote For Favorite Entry To Send Winner To Meet The Legendary NARUTO Manga Creator Masashi Kishimoto At New York Comic Con

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, has announced the final stage of its Hokage for a Day Promotion to celebrate NARUTO and the upcoming first-ever U.S. appearance by the manga series creator Masashi Kishimoto at the 2015 New York Comic Con (NYCC) in October.

Over the past 6 weeks, fans have submitted more than 800 entries to the contest, which encouraged hopeful winners to create a one-minute YouTube video describing what NARUTO means to them. The Hokage for a Day Grand Prize winner and a guest will have the opportunity to meet NARUTO creator Masashi Kishimoto on October 10th during NYCC, and participate in several of Kishimoto’s events during the show. The Grand Prize package also includes airline tickets and hotel accommodations, as well as transportation and a pair of NYCC show passes, courtesy of VIZ Media. The contest winner will be announced by VIZ Media around September 8th.

VIZ Media and ReedPOP, in partnership with The Japan Foundation, will welcome Kishimoto for a very special series of personal appearances at the massive pop culture convention that will take place October 8th-11th at the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. Full details on the show are available at: www.newyorkcomiccon.com.

Fans are invited to screen the following videos and by Sunday September 6th, vote for their own favorites at: viz.com/naruto?tab=hokageforaday.

The Inspiring, Top 10 NARUTO Hokage for a Day Video Selections:

Amanda: www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_Dgf9PHjYU
Amanda showcases her NARUTO collection (amassed over ten years) and her handmade cosplay and artwork!

Brittney McConway: https://youtu.be/4qr-gsZLTRY
NARUTO became the muse for Brittney to start her own life coaching business, which uses a fun anime/manga approach to deal with depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.

Cassidy Kerr: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc49pcwAzsw
Cassidy not only has S-rank NARUTO collection, she was inspired to introduce NARUTO and cosplay to her family/friends!

Christina Faye: www.youtube.com/watch?v=m25JNj5htkk&feature=youtu.be
Christina has been a fan since the manga debut, and is inspired by and cosplays as Sakura.

Custat: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCOY4xmKA2s&feature=youtu.be
Custat  animates herself for her video entry, and dreams of becoming a manga-ka!

Dinah Baergas: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWZzGWV30-Q
Dinah is an ardent fan who cosplays as Guy (“Maito Gai”) and also works to improve her community.

Randi Willett: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjFpPHHe_sg
Randi and her twin sister cosplayed as Naruto and Sasuke for over 10 years.

Steven Gathings: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d45AT0tPFPs&feature=youtu.be
Steven and his friends create a NARUTO fan film!

Thomas Molina: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePzRnxRWcpA&feature=youtu.be
NARUTO got Thomas through 2 bouts of leukemia, and it became a source of strength to persevere through trying times.

Victor Lee: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AUODewW5lY
The tenets of friendship and teamwork in NARUTO inspired Victor to strive to be a Hokage in his own community, and he volunteers for March of Dimes and Baton Rouge Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation!

The final volume of the NARUTO manga series (rated ‘T’ for Teens) will be published by VIZ Media in print and also digitally in October and brings the long-running ninja action adventure to its thrilling conclusion. The first NARITO spin-off movie, BORUTO: NARUTO THE MOVIE, which launches a new storyline and characters focusing on the son of Naruto, will launch in the Fall.

Additional information on NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN is available at www.Naruto.com.

For more information on manga titles available from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.


About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and ONE PIECE, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.  VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products.  Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

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