VIZ has unleashed Rei Hiroe’s original Black Lagoon manga in the U.S. Excuse me while I do the Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy dance…

VIZ MEDIA DEBUTS BLACK LAGOON MANGA SERIES

A PT Boat Packed with Mercenary Couriers Lands on North American Shores

San Francisco, CA, SEPTEMBER 16, 2008 — VIZ Media, LLC, one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the exciting North American debut of BLACK LAGOON, a manga (graphic novel) series by Rei Hiroe about a misfit group of mercenaries and their adventures on the high seas of Southeast Asia. BLACK LAGOON is available now from the VIZ Media imprint and is rated “M” for Mature audiences. It carries an MSRP of $12.99 U.S./$15.00 CAN.

Readers will lock ‘n’ load with Dutch the Boss, Benny the Mechanic, Revy Two Hand, and Rock as they seek adventure and fortune aboard their World War II-era torpedo boat, the Black Lagoon. In the treacherous underworld of the Russian Mafia, Chinese triads, Colombian drug cartels, crazed assassins, and ruthless mercenaries, it’s hard to know who to trust. But if you’ve got a delivery to make, and you don’t mind a little property damage along the way, you can count on the crew of the Black Lagoon! The action kicks off from the very first page as Rokuro Okajima, an average Japanese salaryman, is taken hostage by the crew during a mission to transport a computer disk with insider information that could bring down a major industrial conglomerate. But when Rokuro is sold out by his employer, he decides to join the Black Lagoon crew, who nickname him Rock and throw him headfirst into a deadly world of outlaw heroes, brutal villains, and blazing gunfights. Where he ends up is anyone’s guess, but one thing is for certain – he’s in for a wild ride!

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Those of you with a strong romantic streak and a hankering for manga should be happy with VIZ Media’s Fall 2008 offerings, which expand their Shojo Beat banner with five new series. The new titles include: Time Stranger Kyoko, Short-Tempered Melancholic and Other Stories (judging by the title, I’d say this is about me), Sugar Princess: Skating to Win, Mixed Vegetables, and Wanted.

Press release (with selected cover art) follows…

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I won’t be anywhere near the 2008 BookExpo America show in L.A. this weekend, but the last couple of press releases from VIZ makes me wish I were…there are a metric ton of releases between these two sheets, so rather than post them in their entirety, I’ll just stick to the skinny:

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VIZ PICTURES ANNOUNCES DVD RELEASE OF LIVE ACTION FEATURE FILM - HONEY & CLOVER

Romantic Comedy Based On Popular Manga Series Depicts Five Art Students And Their Transformations From Adolescence To Adulthood

San Francisco, CA, May 12, 2008 – VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, has announced the DVD release of HONEY AND CLOVER today. The live-action film, directed by Masahiro Takata and based on a best-selling manga series by Chica Umino, features English subtitles and will carry an estimated retail price of $24.98. Special bonus features on the disc include cast interviews, and a dedicated website about the film is available at www.honeyandclover.us.

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