Captivating new titles to be in stores in November and will appeal to both female and male fans

San Francisco, CA, September 29, 2004 - VIZ, LLC, one of the leading publishers and distributors of manga and anime for North American audiences, has announced five exciting new shôjo manga titles that will hit store shelves in November 2004. These titles include DOLLS, FROM FAR AWAY, W JULIET, HERE IS GREENWOOD and WILD COM.

Just as in Japan, females in North America now strongly support the manga genre, and desire stories aimed at their demographic. Shôjo manga is presently the fastest growing area of the entire graphic novel publishing industry, and VIZ continues to regularly offer a multitude of new shôjo titles. These titles, by leading artists, feature a variety of dramatic and comedic plots, characters and settings, ranging from the realistic to the fantastic. Many male fans have also become avid supporters of shôjo manga and its stylish presentation. With the 2004 holiday season quickly approaching, the following VIZ selections will also make unique gift ideas for the shôjo fan.

The following new VIZ titles are rated 'T' for Teens:

W JULIET · MSRP: $9.99 · Available November 9, 2004
This shôjo manga series has an interesting title because the "W" in Japanese sounds like "double," so one can also read the title as "Double Juliet." The reason for this will quickly become obvious. Sixteen-year-old tomboy Ito Miura has been chosen to play Romeo in a school production of Romeo and Juliet. The problem is she doesn't want the male role. So, who will play Juliet? The favorite for the part, the beautiful and vain Tsugumi, must compete for the role against a cute new transfer student named Makoto Amano. Makoto not only has the looks, but her audition proves that she also has the acting capability to play any role. Makoto and Ito become friends in drama class, but Makoto has a devastating secret and if rival Tsugumi, or the rest of the school, discover what it is, it could ruin Makoto's life, and drag Ito down as well.

DOLLS · MSRP: $9.99 · Available November 9, 2004
When you live inside a dollhouse, it's sometimes hard to tell who the puppet is, and who the master is. Artist Yumiko Kawahara presents an intriguing short story about the strange and co-dependent world of dolls and the obsessive people who own them. Both quirky and unsettling, DOLLS is a science fiction morality fable that questions the dark side of love and pride.

FROM FAR AWAY · MSRP: $9.99 · Available November 9, 2004
Noriko is unexpectedly plunged into a strange and extraordinary fantasy world while on her way home from school one day. Her troubles are magnified when she is rescued by a handsome young man named Izark. He may be brave and courageous, but inside Izark lurks the darkest evil imaginable. According to ancient prophecy, Noriko possesses the power to unleash that evil. Now, inexorably bound together, these two unlikely allies must navigate a world both wondrous and hostile.

The following new VIZ titles are rated 'T+' for Teens:

HERE IS GREENWOOD · MSRP: $9.99 · Available November 9, 2004
Meet Kazuya Hasukawa - a regular teenager who wants to live a normal, peaceful life, but when his first love marries his older brother and moves into their house, Kazuya decides that he has to move out to preserve his sanity. Starting his first year at an exclusive all-male boarding school, things go from bad to worse when he discovers he's been assigned to the strangest college dorm on campus - an asylum called "Greenwood" - where all the weirdoes, outcasts, and lunatics reside. But hope may lie in the fact that Kazuya's roommate happens to also be the cutest girl in an otherwise all-male dorm.

WILD COM · MSRP: $9.99 · Available November 23, 2004
Yumi Tamura, the creator of the popular BASARA manga, presents this suspenseful trio of short stories. The first tale, Psychic Squad Wild Com finds its lead character struggling with the denial of her psychic abilities - powers that could spell life of death for those around her. The Beasts of June is a poetic tale of urban violence depicting the adventures of two free spirits caught up in corruption's heartless grasp. Finally, The Eye of the Needle presents a shocking thriller wrapped in the guise of a fame twisted romance. Tough, intense and thrilling, WILD COM offers three distinct and compelling tales from a master of shôjo action.

About VIZ, LLC
Founded in 1986, VIZ is a multi-media entertainment company specializing in Japanese entertainment properties for U.S. audiences. VIZ offers an integrated product line including magazines, graphic novels, videos, DVDs and audio soundtracks. Each month, VIZ publishes three magazines - ANIMERICA, ANIMERICA EXTRA and SHONEN JUMP; over 20 graphic novel titles, including ALICE 19th, BOYS OVER FLOWERS, DRAGON BALL Z, FUSHIGI YÛGI, GUNDAM, INUYASHA, RANMA 1/2, and YU-GI-OH!; and distributes home video for BOYS OVER FLOWERS, HAMTARO, INUYASHA, POKÉMON, PROJECT ARMS, and ZOIDS.

Based in San Francisco, VIZ is one of the top five comics publishers in the U.S. and a subsidiary of Shogakukan and Shueisha Inc., two of the top publishers in Japan. VIZ is the leading publisher of manga for English speaking audiences, serving a growing market of dedicated fans of all ages. Estimating a core audience of nearly 15 million fans, the company holds more than a 50% market share of Japanese comics in the U.S. With some of the most innovative products in the industry, VIZ has expanded its offerings to its loyal fans through web sites such as www.animerica-mag.com, www.shonenjump.com, and its corporate site, www.viz.com.

Contact VIZ, LLC at: 655 Bryant Street, San Francisco, CA 94107-1612; Phone: (415) 546-7073; Fax: (415) 546-7086; Web site: www.VIZ.com

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