VIZ Media Llc. has announced a collection of fourth quarter anime releases that will make unique gift selections for the 2005 holiday season. These DVDs include exclusive box sets, the latest episodic volumes for ongoing series, as well as single DVD volumes for newly launched properties.
INUYASHA THE MOVIE 3: SWORDS OF AN HONORABLE RULER ($24.98) continues to be one of the most popular and successful manga/anime properties in North America and Japan. Many years ago, the Great Dog Demon wielded the Tree Swords of the Fang. Upon his death, he bequeathed a sword to each of his sons, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, leaving the third sword, the wrath-filled Sounga, locked away forever. Now that the Soungas owner has been awakened, these two battling brothers must put away their sibling rivalry and face off against a force that spells doom for all mankind.
The INUYASHA SEASON 2 Box Set ($99.98) features all 27 episodes of the second season of the popular series seen on Cartoon Network. The episodes continue to follow Inuyasha, his, spunky sidekick Kagome and their friends Miroku, Shippo, Sango and Kirara as they continue on their journey to find the fragments of the fabled Shikon Jewel. The task is not made easy when their nemesis, Naraku, consistently tries to thwart their progress with new traps and schemes. The special deluxe edition ($119.98) includes a set of imported Hanko signature blocks, each featuring the name of Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, Kagome or the original Japanese logo for the series.
SAIKANO: The Complete Box Set ($79.98) follows Shuji and Chise, high school seniors in a small town in Japan who have just started dating when Shuji discovers that his new girlfriend has been secretly engineered by the government into a powerful weapon to defend the country as it enters a violent war. While the couple tries to nurture their relationship, Chise continues to grow even more powerful as this Ultimate Weapon, and becomes increasingly torn between being an instrument of destruction and remaining an ordinary teenager. This exclusive box set features all 13 episodes of the series as well as a host of extra features including cast and director interviews and art galleries.
ZATCH BELL!, Volume 1 The Lightning Boy from Another World ($19.98) tells the story of 14-year old Kiyomaro Takamine, a genius but introverted middle school student who has trouble making friends. Kiyos father decides to try to help his son with the aid of a mysterious birthday present a strange little boy named Zatch whom he finds unconscious in the woods in England. Zatch has no memory of who he is, but it turns out he is a mamodo, an imp-like creature from another world, sent to the human world along with 99 other mamodo children to fight a battle to determine who will be the next king of the mamodo world. Exciting, hilarious, and heartwarming adventures ensue throughout the series as other mamodo children keep coming to Zatch and Kiyomaro to try to beat them, and the duo tries to defeat their enemies, make friends, and find out more about Zatch's shadowy past. This volume features the first four episodes from the series.
POKÉMON ADVANCED CHALLENGE, Volume 1 Love at First Flight ($14.98) features five episodes, which reunites Ash, Pikachu and friends with old acquaintances Misty and Togepi.
POKÉMON ADVANCED Box Set Volume 1 ($39.98) features the first 20 episodes from the POKÉMON ADVANCED series on three DVDs. In these new adventures, Ash, Brock and Pikachu meet the sibling team of May and Max and begin their journey into the Hoenn Region.
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media Llc. (www.viz.com) is one of the leading companies in the field of manga publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. Owned by three of Japans largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan Production Co. Ltd. (ShoPro Japan), VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America and a global licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including, magazines such as SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, videos, DVDs, audio soundtracks and develops and markets animated entertainment from initial production, television placement and distribution, to merchandise licensing and promotions for audiences and consumers of all ages.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
