VIZ Media welcomes comic book and manga legends Stan Lee and Hiroyuki Takei for a very special series of appearances at the 2009 Comic-Con International, taking place July 23-26 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.

The pair will appear at the nation’s largest comic book and science fiction convention to celebrate their historic creative collaboration for the ULTIMO manga series (KARAKURIDÔJI ULTIMO), which debuted in the July 2009 issue of VIZ Media’s SHONEN JUMP magazine.

Stan Lee and Hiroyuki Takei will be welcomed as special guests at the SHONEN JUMP panel, scheduled for Friday, July 24th from 10:30-11:30 a.m. in Room 10. Lee and Takei will also appear together in VIZ Media’s Booth #2813 on the main show floor for an exclusive autograph session on Friday July 24th from 2:15-3:15 p.m. The first 40 fans to purchase the July issue of SHONEN JUMP magazine featuring ULTIMO from the VIZ Media retail area each day from Wednesday through Friday will receive a ticket to have their issue personally autographed by Lee and Takei.

ULTIMO represents an innovative and historic collaboration between comics legend Stan Lee, co-creator of many iconic superheroes including Spider-Man™, the Fantastic Four™, and the X-Men™, and Hiroyuki Takei, the creator of the popular SHAMAN KING manga series, published in Japan by Shueisha and in North America by VIZ Media.

The ULTIMO back-story: High above Farmless City, citizens are stunned by the sudden appearance of two floating figures. Are they human boys, monolithic robots, or something much more strange? As the battle ensues between them, destruction and devastation falls on the hapless city. One figure is Vice, and seems to be as evil as his name implies. The other is Ultimo, intent on trying to stop Vice from wreaking more havoc. But who are Vice and Ultimo really? Where did they come from? Find out in the first chapter of ULTIMO!

For over half a century, Stan Lee has been synonymous with superhero comics. In addition to co-creating countless memorable series and characters, including Spider-Man™, the Incredible Hulk™, and Daredevil™, he served as the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics. Lee remains a hugely respected and dynamic figure in the entertainment industry and continues to develop a variety of film, television and video game properties.

Unconventional author/artist Hiroyuki Takei began his career by winning the coveted Hop Step Award (for new manga artists) and the Osamu Tezuka Award. After working as an assistant to famed artist Nobuhiro Watsuki (RUROUNI KENSHIN), Takei debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1997 with Butsu Zone, an action series based on Buddhist mythology. His multicultural adventure manga series SHAMAN KING debuted in Japan in 1998 and has been adapted into a popular animated television series. The SHAMAN KING manga series is published in North America by VIZ Media and has sold more than 400,000 copies in the U.S. to-date; for many years it was also serialized in English in VIZ Media’s SHONEN JUMP magazine.

“We are extremely honored to host two creative luminaries as huge as Stan Lee and Hiroyuki Takei to Comic-Con this year,” says Grant Lowery, SHONEN JUMP Editor-In-Chief. “Their groundbreaking new collaboration, ULTIMO, is an exciting, action-packed story that blends the best attributes of the Western and Eastern comic book and manga traditions. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we look forward to welcoming visitors to this year’s Comic-Con which promises to be the most exciting one yet!”

Lee’s own company, POW! Entertainment (Pinksheets: POWN.PK), worked with VIZ Media parent company Shueisha, and with JEA and Dream Ranch to facilitate the development of ULTIMO.

For more information on ULTIMO, SHONEN JUMP and VIZ Media please visit www.shonenjump.com or www.viz.com and on TWITTER: VIZ-Media

VIZ Pictures has licensed the combat action-comedy film BATTLE LEAGUE HORUMO.

Based on the best-selling fantasy novel Kamogawa HORUMO written by Manabu Makime, the live-action BATTLE LEAGUE HORUMO takes audiences on a wild adventure that blends the breathtaking backdrop of Kyoto with the bizarre legend of “Horumo.” After failing the entrance exam and enduring two years of cram school, Akira Abe (Takayuki Yamada) finally gets accepted to the prestigious Kyoto University.

One day while on his way home with a friend, Akira meets a senior who invites them to a welcome party hosted by his club called the Azure Dragon. With nothing to lose, they decide to go for the free food, but while there Akira meets Kyoko Sawara, a beautiful girl with a perfect nose, and he falls head over heels for her. Now smitten, Akira goes in to persuade his friend to join the club with him in the hope that he can get closer to the girl of his dreams.

At first, the club appears to be an ordinary social group, but the new members soon discover the mysterious 1000 year-old tradition of the “Horumo” battle upheld by the four universities of Kyoto. The battle is fought between 10 players from each team who each manipulate an army of 100 spirits (referred to as Oni) to fight their opponents. The members each go through rigorous training to achieve fluency in the Oni language as well as learn the indefinable gestures that are required to complement it. Let the battles begin!

BATTLE LEAGUE HORUMO features stunning visual effects that vividly bring the Oni spirits to life and were created by the renowned GONZO animation studio, which also produced animated features like Afro Samurai, Brave Story, and Basilisk.

BATTLE LEAGUE HORUMO was directed by Katsuhide Motoki (Kitaro And The Millennium Curse, 10 Promises To My Dog). The film stars Takayuki Yamada, who is well-known for his role as the awkward bumbling Otaku young man in Train Man: Densha Otoko (also available from VIZ Pictures), along with actress Chiaki Kuriyama, who appeared in the Japanese horror film Ju-on and made her Hollywood debut in director Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Volume 1.

BATTLE LEAGUE HORUMO will receive a special screening at the 2009 Fantasia Festival in Montreal, Canada, one of North America’s largest film festivals happening July 9-27. The film will also screen at the 2009 Fantastic Fest, taking place in Austin, TX, September 24 – October 1, and finally at the 2009 Hawaii International Film Festival which takes place October 15-25. For more details, visit www.viz-pictures.com.

“VIZ Pictures is very proud to announce the licensing of BATTLE LEAGUE HORUMO,” says Seiji Horibuchi, President and CEO of VIZ Pictures. “The fast-paced action combined with some elements of comedy and a hint of romance will make BATTLE LEAGUE HORUMO a fun film experience for a variety of fans. We look forward to announcing more information about the DVD release of the film shortly, but invite audiences to enjoy the movie at several notable film festivals happening throughout North America this summer!”

“EVANGELION: 1.0 YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE” is the film sequel to the sci-fi animated series blockbuster Neon Genesis Evangelion (also written and directed by Hideaki Anno) which aired on Japanese television in the mid 1990’s.

Director in Chief Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion) and the creative staff of this film made a complete rebuild of the design and visuals rather than magnifying the original 16 mm film from the series. The team was also able to employ 3D computer graphics to enrich the depth and breadth of the Evangelion world as well as digital photography and composite nonlinear editing.

ABOUT EVANGELION: 1.0 YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE There was no foreseeable warning before it happened – a catastrophe of unparalleled scale and magnitude overwhelmed the entire globe. This event, recorded in history as “The Second Impact,” caused half the population of the Earth to perish and devastated the world. All that remains of Japan is Tokyo-3, a city that is now being attacked by giant creatures that seek to destroy mankind. These creatures are called Angels.

Fourteen year old Shinji Ikari is called to Tokyo-3 by his father who he hasn’t seen in more than eight years. He is asked to come to the NERV headquarters to meet his father. His father reveals to him a gigantic humanoid weapons system that the special governmental agency has secretly developed to fight the Angels and then orders Shinji to pilot the giant artificial human Evangelion Unit One.

With the fate of the world resting on his shoulders, how will the 14 year old boy Shinji fight? What is the truth behind “The Human Instrumentality Project,” an operation somehow related to the “Second Impact”? And who is the true enemy? The Angels, NERV, the mysterious SEELE, or the demons held within the hearts of all involved?

Gend? Ikari, a man who holds many answers to these questions, watches silently and attentively as his son fights a desperate battle…Funimation Entertainment will premiere EVANGELION: 1.0 YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE Friday, July 3, in room LP1 at Anime Expo.

Image Courtesy of Wikipedia

Visual kei fans get ready for a musical explosion as Moi dix Mois rocks Anime Expo 2009 as an official Guest of Honor for the nation’s largest anime and manga convention held July 2-5, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Moi dix Mois is a sound project headed by Mana, the consummate guitarist and leader of Malice Mizer which is on indeterminate hiatus. In addition to writing music and lyrics, Mana does all of the computer programming and arrangements for his songs. Mana’s strikingly electrifying and unprecedented musical creation is the result of his remarkable talent to combine the diametrical opposites, such as the classical and the avant-garde, the elegant and the delirious, or the creative and the destructive.

Moi dix Mois jump-started its career on March 19 (Mana’s birthday), 2002. The group’s name is a term coined by Mana. ŒMoi’ means Œme’ (that is Mana), and Œdix Mois’ means Œ10 months’ in French. The implied meaning of dix Mois is the birth and the beginning, coming from the 10-month period of human fetal development as an embryo in the mother’s womb. Also, number 10 has been given a special connotation by Mana; a combination of Œ1′ representing the start, and Œ0′ implying the potential eternity or infinity.

Moi dix Mois will electrify concert goers at the nation’s largest anime and manga event over the 4th of July weekend as the 2nd official concert!

Moi dix Mois joins other Anime Expo 2009 Official Guests of Honor Hiroyuki Imaishi, Daisuke Ishiwatari, Yun Kouga, Yosuke Kuroda, Toshimichi Mori, Toshiyuki Morikawa, Morning Musume, Yasuhiro Nightow, Atsushi Nishigori, Satoshi Nishimura, Takashi Okazaki and Kari Wahlgren.

Red & Black Sponsors include: FUNimation, Silver Sponsors include: Anime News Network and Digital Manga Press, Patron Sponsors include: COPIC, Central Park Media and The Right Stuf, Media Sponsors include: ImaginAsian TV, Animation Magazine, Anime Insider Magazine, Anime News Network and UTB Hollywood.

Kadokawa Pictures USA continue to stream new titles from the Kadokawa Pictures USA Collection on Crunchyroll with tales of insatiable pursuits of love, mystery, horror and drama. More information can be found at:

These Kadokawa Pictures USA titles are available at 12:00 pm PST today, for FREE, to all fans and members in the U.S., Canada, American Samoa, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam and Virgin Island regions.

Title Synopsis:

A LUSTFUL MAN

Yonosuke lived in an insatiable pursuit of love affairs with women and a celebrated courtesan. He first made love to a woman during his childhood. Thereafter, always devoting himself to the affairs, Yonosuke ended up, at 60, sailing to Nyogogashima (”Isle of Women”). This film was adapted from the famous novel, Koshoku Ichidai Otoko which narrates 54 years of his adventures in affairs of women. Watch A Lustful Man

ALL MIXED UP

An unhappy lawyer’s wife falls in love with a young, mysterious woman she encounters at an art class. Soon their affair involves her husband and the young woman’s impotent lover and together the four slowly descend into a web of desire, deceit, blood oaths and suicide pacts. The first movie in Japanese history to deal explicitly with homosexuality. Watch All Mixed Up

THE INUGAMI FAMILY

Based on Seishi Yokomizo’s masterpiece mystery novel, “The Inugami Family” is the hugely successful classic horror film directed by Kon Ichikawa. It tells a story of a strange will left by a wealthy man which reveals a peculiarly twisted set of relationships and triggers four deaths and several other murder attempts. Watch The Inugami Family

THE QUIET DUEL

(Directed by Akira Kurosawa) During a life-saving operation, army surgeon Fujisaki (legendary actor Toshiro Mifune) contaminates himself with syphilis, a disease virtually incurable in 1940’s Japan. After the war, he returns to work at the hospital maintained by his obstetrician father (Takashi Shimura) but agonizes over the disease that threatens to destroy his impending marriage, while simultaneously trying to save other patients’ lives – including the man from whom he contracted the disease. Watch The Quiet Duel

Anime Expo 2009 will be the place to be this fourth of July weekend as legendary and world re-known Japanese voice actor (seiyuu) of Anime and video games, Toshiyuki Morikawa, is announced as one of the official Anime Expo 2009 Guest of Honor for the nation’s largest anime and manga convention held July 2-5, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Mr. Morikawa has appeared in many anime roles within such popular titles as After War Gundam X, Berserk, Black Lagoon, Bleach, D. Gray-Man, Devil May Cry: The Animated Series, Digimon Adventure 02, Fighting Spirit, Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu, Gundam Wing, Initial D: Fourth Stage, Inuyasha, Kyo Kara Maoh, Last Exile, Nana, Naruto, Pokemon, One Piece, Saiyuki, Story Of Saiungoku, Tenjho Tenge, The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya, Mobile Suite Victory Gundam, Slam Dunk, Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Descendants Of Darkness, Gakuen Heaven, Haru Wo Daiteita and many others highly recognizable titles.

Mr. Morikawa has also been featured in the world of electronic entertainment, as he is also the voice of the infamous Sephiroth of the FINAL FANTASY video game franchise and Heishiro Mitsurugi in the SOULCALIBUR franchise. Mr. Morikawa has also voiced in other video game titles including KINGDOM HEARTS II, NARUTO ULTIMATE NINJA 3, SUPER ROBOT WARS ORIGINAL GENERATIONS, STREET FIGHTER, TEKKEN and many others.

Mr. Morikawa joins Hiroyuki, Iamaishi, Daisuke Ishiwatari, Yosuke Kuroda, Toshimichi Mori, Morning Musume, Yasuhiro Nightow, Atsushi Nishigori, Satoshi Nishimura and Kari Wahlgren as official Anime Expo 2009 Guests of Honor.

Animation Kobe Director Award winner, Hiroyuki Imaishi and 7th Annual Tokyo International Anime Award recipient, Atsushi Nishigori, are now announced as official Anime Expo 2009 Guests of Honor at the nation’s largest anime and manga convention held July 2-5, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Hiroyuki Imaishi

After graduating from Tama Art University, Mr. Hiroyuki Imaishi, was hired as an animator for the Gainax Company, Limited. His first work was the animation that many critics considered a social phenomenon NEON GENESIS EVANGELION. Since then, Mr. Imaishi has worked on storyboards and as art directors for such hit anime series as HIS AND HER CIRCUMSTANCES and FLCL. Mr. Imaishi made his directorial debut with the OVA DEAD LEAVES. Mr. Imaishi has also worked on RE: CUTEY HONEY and TENGEN TOPPA GURREN LAGGAN franchise. Mr. Imaishi was also the recipient of the 12th Animation Kobe
Director’s Award.

Atsushi Nishigori

Character designer Mr. Atsushi Nishigori has worked on many titles including MAHOROMATIC, THIS UGLY YET BEAUTIFUL WORLD, HE IS MY MASTER, OVER THE TOP! 2 and serves as the character animation director for the TENGEN TOPPA GURREN LAGGAN franchise. Mr. Nishigori was also the recipient of 7th Annual Tokyo International Anime Awards’ Individual Character Design Award category.

Mr. Imaishi and Mr. Nishigori join Daisuke Ishiwatari, Yosuke Kuroda, Toshimichi Mori, Morning Musume, Yasuhiro Nightow, Satoshi Nishimura and Kari Wahlgren as official Anime Expo 2009 Guests of Honor.

• Enter the costume contest and you could win a deluxe “Fruits Basket”, that includes a Fruits Basket Sticker Collection, planner, T-shirt, hat, and much more
• Make any $100 or more purchase and get a free copy of Fruits Basket Ultimate Edition Vol. 1, Fruits Basket DVD, and Fruits Basket Fan Book
• Get your picture taken with one of three Fruits Basket backgrounds

Clear your weekend schedules and get over to Macy’s to celebrate with some serious Fruits Basket fun! Visit TOKYOPOP.com for more information!

Event Details

Macy’s Flushing – Directions

Friday, May 15, 2009 starting at 2:00 pm
136-50 Roosevelt Avenue, Flushing, NY 11354
(on the Main Floor)

Macy’s Herald Square – Directions

Saturday, May 16, 2009 starting at 2:00 pm
151 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001
(on the 7th floor in the Children’s section)

Macy’s Downtown-Metro Center – Directions

Saturday, May 16, 2009 starting at 2:00 pm
1201 G. Street N.W. , Washington, DC, 20005
(on the Main Floor)

Ten New Manga Series – Something For Everyone

Science fiction, fantasy action/adventure, romance, feudal Japan, dinosaurs and even rock and roll provide an array of story backdrops and themes for an exciting Q2 filled with new manga series. Mature readers will be riveted to the page with the new gritty action series DOGS, while IKIGAMI: THE ULTIMATE LIMIT offers an alternate take on the future of crime deterrence and DETROIT METAL CITY screams tongue-in-cheek heavy metal fun. GESTALT takes readers on an amazing fantasy quest, while shojo fans will delight in the romantic debuts of HONEY HUNT, RASETSU, and a special Tail of the Moon Prequel: The Other Hanzo(u).

Younger manga readers also have plenty of new titles to enjoy with the debuts of DINOSAUR HOUR and LEAVE IT TO PET! by the popular VIZKIDS imprint, as well as a special second edition of PokÉmon Adventures.

New VIZ Media Manga Titiles for Q2 Include:

DOGS PRELUDE, Volume 0

Boasting furious action, switchback plotting, magnetic characters and dazzling art, DOGS is a series created by Shirow Miwa that tells the story of four individuals struggling to survive a bleak dystopian urban future with a mix of gun, sword, courage and luck.

Heine, the “Stray Dog,” is a cipher of a young man with a mysterious metal collar bolted to his neck and a disturbing talent for mayhem. Badou is a hired gun for petty jobs, both legal and not, whose reckless facade hides a serious intent. Naoto, a preternaturally skilled swordswoman, is searching for the assassin who cut down her family and mentor. And Mihai, a middle-aged former hit man, has been trying to live a quiet life but is continually haunted by the deaths of his lover and protégé. Driven by their ghosts, both dead and alive, and a desire for truth, all of them are inexorably drawn to the “Underground,” the dark and dangerous sector below the city that holds all the secrets–ones that can only be had for a price.

DOGS, originally published in Ultra Jump magazine in Japan, weaves a dramatic tale of an alternate future reminiscent of great thrillers like Blade Runner and Battle Royale.

Rated ‘M’ for Mature Audiences
MSRP: $12.99 US / $15.00 CAN
Available Now!

IKIGAMI: THE ULTIMATE LIMIT, Vol. 1

Congratulations! You have been randomly selected by the government…to DIE in 24 hours! Please enjoy your final day and take pride in the fact that your death will inspire others to live life to the fullest!

Welcome to the world of Ikigami, the Death Notice, where to keep citizens on the straight and narrow path of productivity and prosperity, citizens are randomly selected by the government for termination!

IKIGAMI was created by Motoro Mase and originally debuted in Young Sunday. The manga presents a wicked slant on crime deterrence as readers see the last 24 hours through the eyes of the very people slated to die for their country with no hope of reprieve. What happens when people have no hope of survival will shock readers to the core in this new frighteningly dark series!

IKIGAMI has sold more than a million copies and recently debuted in Japan as a live-action film. An acclaimed artist and manga creator, Mase was also nominated for Shogakukan’s 43rd Grand Prize for best comic by a new artist.

Rated ‘M’ for Mature Audiences
MSRP: $12.99 US / $15.00 CAN
Available May 12

DETROIT METAL CITY, Vol. 1

Detroit Metal City Cover

Prepare to have your mortal soul devoured by the demonic Johannes Krauser II, front man for Detroit Metal City, the most outrageous death metal band on the Japanese indie rock scene! Soichi Negishi dreamed of moving to Tokyo and starting a bubblegum pop band, but now he’s fronting the most scandalous and demented metal band in Japanese rock! Deep down, Soichi still dreams of acoustic guitars and trips to Paris, but when the makeup comes on and he transforms into his alter ego, Krauser II, not even the denizens of hell are safe from his soul-devouring death metal sound.

Can Soichi reconcile his sensitive inner yearnings with his wild on-stage persona – the vilest hard rocker in Japanese (and possibly world) history?

DETROIT METAL CITY takes the zany rock antics inspired by films like Spinal Tap to hilarious new extremes in this witty series created by Kiminori Wakasugi. A live action version of the film was recently released in Japan featuring cameos by Gene Simmons (KISS) and Marty Friedman (Megadeth). The DETROIT METAL CITY animated counterpart has also gained a major following across North America and the debut of the manga promises to be the most outrageous, profane, and funny rock and roll adventure ever!

Rated ‘M’ for Mature Audiences
MSRP: $12.99 US / $15.00 CAN
Available June 9

GESTALT, Vol. 1

In the legendary past the gods battled for supremacy and cast out a demon whose name cannot be spoken. Banished to earth, the demon found refuge on the mysterious and dangerous island known only as “G.” After experiencing a crisis of faith, Father Olivier of the Valaria Order decides to go there and find out the truth behind the legends. But Olivier’s journey is unsanctioned and the head of the Order engages the dark elf Suzu to stop him at any cost. As he begins his quest, Olivier encounters Ouri, a young girl from the south who cannot speak. When Suzu catches up to them, Ouri reveals herself as a powerful sorceress and quickly disposes of Suzu, at least for the moment. The pair continues their journey south, dodging the agents of Olivier’s order, the considerable native dangers of the island of G, and Ouri’s secret past.

GESTALT was created by Yun Kouga, one of the biggest names in manga, and incorporates many visual facets from computer and tabletop role-playing games to give the series a video game-like ambiance.

Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
MSRP: $8.99 US / $10.50 CAN
Available June 16

New SHOJO BEAT Manga Include:

HONEY HUNT, Vol. 1

Life’s not easy when you’re living in the shadow of your famous parents. Can shy Yura, the daughter of an award-winning composer and a world-renowned actress, find the courage to step out on her own when her super-celebrity parents get divorced? Already accustomed to the daily pressures of being the child of celebrities, Yura’s frustration explodes in a rant against her parents – and to make things worse her emotional tirade is broadcast live on national TV! But when a powerful talent scout hears her impassioned declaration, he actually offers to represent her.

The doors to showbiz are suddenly flung open for this timid wallflower. Will Yura step from out from the shadows to assume her place in the spotlight? Find out in this fascinating look at the crazy side of Japanese show business.

HONEY HUNT was created by Miki Aihara, one of the most popular shojo manga artists in Japan. Her popular series HOT GIMMICK and TOKYO BOYS AND GIRLS (both published domestically by VIZ Media) have gained her a significant following in North America.

Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
MSRP: $8.99 US / $10.50 CAN
Available Now!

RASETSU, Vol. 1

A fantastic supernatural spin-off to the hit shojo manga series YURARA (also published by VIZ Media), RASETSU is about a girl named Rasetsu Hyuga who works for an exorcist agency where she uses her special powers to banish evil spirits. But there’s a story behind the mysterious red flower mark on her chest. It’s a memento left by a powerful spirit that vowed to claim her on her 20th birthday.Unless Rasetsu can find true love by then, she’s fated to become his.

Yako Hoshino, a young man with spiritual powers and a past of his own, comes to the agency one day seeking help with a possessed book. He’s seen a lot of strange phenomena in his day, but the last thing he expects to see is Rasetsu bearing a striking resemblance to his old love Yurara! Fans of Chika Shiomi’s popular shojo series YURARA won’t want to miss this exciting debut.

Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
MSRP: $8.99 US / $10.50 CAN
Available June 2

TAIL OF THE MOON PREQUEL: THE OTHER HANZO(U)

This is the one-shot prequel to the critically acclaimed romantic melodrama TAIL OF THE MOON and also serves as an addition to the popular shojo series created by Rinko Ueda. Set in feudal Japan, a young woman is found with a huge scar on her back and has no memory of who she is. She’s given the name “Kaguya” and taken in by a local brothel where she’s put in charge of babysitting and housekeeping duties.

Hanzou Hattori, the head guard of the nearby castle, starts to pursue her romantically. He eventually realizes that they’ve met before in the past…under very surprising circumstances! Later, a case of mistaken identity leads Kaguya to the village of Iga where she meets the high-ranking ninja leader Hanzo Hattori. Things get complicated when she figures out she’s gotten her Hanzo(u)s mixed up!

Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
MSRP: $8.99 US / $10.50 CAN
Available June 2

New VIZKIDS Manga Include:

DINOSAUR HOUR!, Vol. 1

Journey back in time to an age when dinosaurs ruled the earth, fierce – and funny! In this world, dinosaurs are just regular dudes who may try to eat each other, but still have social foibles like the rest of us. With some of their antics, its no wonder dinosaurs went extinct. In each installment, DINOSAUR HOUR! introduces younger readers to exciting dinosaur species through fun and easy-to-read educational factoids mixed with wacky humor.

Kids will also delight in dinosaur puppet cut-outs in the back of the book that readers can use to create fun dino-ramas. Educational and captivatingly illustrated, the humorous vignettes in DINOUSAUR HOUR! create the universal appeal of these creatures to make a captivating choice for even the most reluctant young reader.

Rated ‘A’ for All Ages
MSRP: $7.99 US / $9.50 CAN
Available April 7

LEAVE IT TO PET!, Vol. 1

One day, nine-year-old Noboru does the responsible thing and recycles a plastic water bottle, but little does he know that the bottle will come back to him as PET, a robot with a mission to pay Noboru back for recycling him! The only problem is that PET’s sense of “helping” isn’t quite in touch with reality.

LEAVE IT TO PET! combines the visual appeal of manga with episodic comedy, adorable characters, and a few gentle lessons about protecting the environment. The manga also features color pages and related activities and cut-outs, giving it strong all-ages appeal. This series an excellent candidate for book clubs and fairs, schools and libraries.

Rated ‘A’ for All Ages
MSRP: $7.99 US / $9.50 CAN
Available May 5

Pokémon Adventures, Vol. 1 (2nd Edition)

Go back to where the adventures of Ash and Pikachu all began in this new edition of the very first POKÉMON saga!

Rated ‘A’ for All Ages
MSRP: $7.99 US / $9.50 CAN
Available June 2

Legendary Anime Studio’s Content to Appear on World Anime Channel

Crunchyroll announced that it is partnering with Bandai Channel to bring blockbuster hits CODE GEASS Lelouch of the Rebellion from legendary anime studio Sunrise to Crunchyroll starting today.

Vice President and COO of Bandai Channel, Takeshi Shimizu, states, “We are looking to create a synergy effect between the world-class contents of one group company, Sunrise, and the retail distribution strength of another group, Bandai Entertainment, culminating digitally on Crunchyroll.”

“This relationship is very important for us,” states Vince Shortino, Representative Director of Crunchyroll’s Japan office.”Sunrise owns the sci-fi/action genre in the anime world, and this gives us a piece of that segment. We look forward to being a part of their success”

Code Geass at Crunchyroll.com

CODE GEASS Lelouch of the Rebellion (25 episodes) will be available to viewers in the United States and Canada and will be immediately available in its entirety, featuring both English dubbed and English subtitled versions, to all visitors in these territories, free of charge and featuring advertisements.

About CODE GEASS Lelouch of the Rebellion

On August 10th of the year 2010 the Holy Empire of Britannia began a campaign of conquest, its sights set on Japan. Operations were completed in one month thanks to Britannia’s deployment of new mobile humanoid armor vehicles dubbed Knightmare Frames. Japan’s rights and identity were stripped away, the once proud nation now referred to as Area 11. Its citizens, Elevens, are forced to scratch out a living while the Britannian aristocracy lives comfortably within their settlements.

Pockets of resistance appear throughout Area 11, working towards independence for Japan. Lelouch, an exiled Imperial Prince of Britannia posing as a student, finds himself in the heart of the ongoing conflict for the island nation. Through a chance meeting with a mysterious girl named C.C., Lelouch gains his Geass, the power of the king. Now endowed with absolute dominance over any person, Lelouch may finally realize his goal of bringing down Britannia from within!

So what do you think? Are you gonna watch it?